Embedded Files
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"
Lao Tzu - Chinese Philosopher
Emergent writing is the progression of stages a young child moves through, beginning with random marks and ending with conventional spelling. Writing development begins when a young child, experimenting with writing tools, makes random marks on paper and will be well on their journey in developing their sensory, gross and fine motor skills to reach this stage.
Emergent writing is the progression of stages a young child moves through, beginning with random marks and ending with conventional spelling. Writing development begins when a young child, experimenting with writing tools, makes random marks on paper and will be well on their journey in developing their sensory, gross and fine motor skills to reach this stage.
Gross Motor Skills
Gross Motor Skills
Children learn to control their bodies from the centre outwards and from the top downwards. In other words, babies build up their neck muscles so they can hold up their heads, then the trunk muscles so they can sit, and finally the whole body control and balance required for walking. Arm and finger control follows the same pattern: at first a child will be able to manipulate the arm from the shoulder joint; gradually they understand how to control the hands; finally they learn how to make the fine finger movements needed to write. To develop gross motor skills, we must plan rich experiences of physical activities, including:
Children learn to control their bodies from the centre outwards and from the top downwards. In other words, babies build up their neck muscles so they can hold up their heads, then the trunk muscles so they can sit, and finally the whole body control and balance required for walking. Arm and finger control follows the same pattern: at first a child will be able to manipulate the arm from the shoulder joint; gradually they understand how to control the hands; finally they learn how to make the fine finger movements needed to write. To develop gross motor skills, we must plan rich experiences of physical activities, including:
● Balance opportunities
● Balance opportunities
● Crawling through tunnels
● Crawling through tunnels
● Carrying buckets of sand or water
● Carrying buckets of sand or water
● Swinging by the arms - from trees, climbing equipment...
● Swinging by the arms - from trees, climbing equipment...
● Digging in the sand or soil
● Digging in the sand or soil
● Dance and basic moves
● Dance and basic moves
● Pulling activities - tug of war...
● Pulling activities - tug of war...
For the emergent writer to begin to develop, they need to have the fundamental skills to be able to write. These skills contribute to the child’s ability to hold and use a pencil and the ability to draw, write, copy and colour; these are fine motor skills.
For the emergent writer to begin to develop, they need to have the fundamental skills to be able to write. These skills contribute to the child’s ability to hold and use a pencil and the ability to draw, write, copy and colour; these are fine motor skills.
This diagram shows the fine motor skills needed for emergent writing.
This diagram shows the fine motor skills needed for emergent writing.
Building Fine Motor Control
Building Fine Motor Control
As well as building up their gross motor skills, your children need to develop the fine motor control required to hold and manipulate a writing tool. They need to develop strength in their wrists and hands, and also a high level of finger control. Some of the key actions required are: grip strength (make a fist to feel this action); pinch strength (hold an invisible pencil tight to feel this action); and eye to hand coordination (also known as ‘visual motor integration’ ). Many of the games and activities you do in your early years setting will help your children develop these movements:
As well as building up their gross motor skills, your children need to develop the fine motor control required to hold and manipulate a writing tool. They need to develop strength in their wrists and hands, and also a high level of finger control. Some of the key actions required are: grip strength (make a fist to feel this action); pinch strength (hold an invisible pencil tight to feel this action); and eye to hand coordination (also known as ‘visual motor integration’ ). Many of the games and activities you do in your early years setting will help your children develop these movements:
- At snack-time, build hand and finger strength by cutting up foods, grating, squeezing and using cloths to wipe up
- In the sand and water trays, you could be squeezing out sponges, pouring liquids from one jug to another and washing up
- Drawing on vertical surfaces helps build strength in the wrists and is also very useful for left-handed children
- Allowing the children to clean flat surfaces, like tables, will encourage the circular motion which helps build wrist and hand strength for letter formation
- Tracing around mazes is great for eye-to-hand coordination
- Squashing and squishing activities will build up lots of strength in the hands – playdough, clay, pastry, gloop and so on
- Toys that involve pop-together-and-pull-apart movements are great for building finger strength
Fine Motor Skills.pptxSensory Processing
Sensory Processing
Sensory processing is the effective registration (and accurate interpretation) of sensory input in the environment (including one’s body). It is the way the brain receives, organises and responds to sensory input in order to behave in a meaningful & consistent manner.
Sensory processing is the effective registration (and accurate interpretation) of sensory input in the environment (including one’s body). It is the way the brain receives, organises and responds to sensory input in order to behave in a meaningful & consistent manner.
A new born is able to see, hear and sense their body but is unable to organise these senses well; therefore this has very little meaning to them. They are unable to judge distances or feel the shape of one object versus another. As they are exposed to various sensory inputs, they gradually learn to organise them within their brain and are able to give meaning to them. They become better able to focus on one sensation and as a result performance improves. Their movement changes from being jerky and clumsy to more refined and they are able to manage multiple amounts of sensory input at one time. By organising sensations the child is able to modulate their response and as a result they seem to be more connected with the world and in control of their emotions.
A new born is able to see, hear and sense their body but is unable to organise these senses well; therefore this has very little meaning to them. They are unable to judge distances or feel the shape of one object versus another. As they are exposed to various sensory inputs, they gradually learn to organise them within their brain and are able to give meaning to them. They become better able to focus on one sensation and as a result performance improves. Their movement changes from being jerky and clumsy to more refined and they are able to manage multiple amounts of sensory input at one time. By organising sensations the child is able to modulate their response and as a result they seem to be more connected with the world and in control of their emotions.
Furthermore a child will be able to understand their body’s movement in relation to their surroundings and itself. This allows for success in fine and gross motor activities. This in turns aids the social development of a child.
Furthermore a child will be able to understand their body’s movement in relation to their surroundings and itself. This allows for success in fine and gross motor activities. This in turns aids the social development of a child.
crawling
finger painting
jumping
swinging
Developing Dexterity
Developing Dexterity
If you consider the actions you use when writing, you’ll see how important it is that you have a high level of dexterity. This skill is needed for lots of other activities too, including self-care tasks such as doing up buttons and pulling on clothes. Help your children develop their dexterity by:
If you consider the actions you use when writing, you’ll see how important it is that you have a high level of dexterity. This skill is needed for lots of other activities too, including self-care tasks such as doing up buttons and pulling on clothes. Help your children develop their dexterity by:
● Doing up and undoing buttons and zips
● Doing up and undoing buttons and zips
● Threading beads
● Threading beads
● Using tweezers and chopsticks
● Using tweezers and chopsticks
● Building towers
● Building towers
● Turning keys in locks
● Turning keys in locks
● Playing with peg boards
● Playing with peg boards
● Colouring in between the lines on a picture
● Colouring in between the lines on a picture
● Icing biscuits
● Icing biscuits
● Cutting or tearing paper around an outline.
● Cutting or tearing paper around an outline.
Holding a Writing Tool
Holding a Writing Tool
At first, children usually grasp the pencil or pen using a fist grip, which then develops into a finger grasp. The ultimate aim is for them to learn how to use a ‘dynamic tripod grasp’, where the pen or pencil is held between the thumb and the index and middle fingers, and they should be able to do this from about three or four years old. The child makes a tripod shape with the thumb and fingers, with the pencil resting on the soft bit between the thumb and forefinger. Help your children learn how to control their individual fingers by singing lots of rhymes where the fingers hide or disappear, such as ‘10 Little Fishes’. Keep an eye on your young writers, and encourage them to hold their writing tool correctly – bad habits are easy to get into but very hard to break.
At first, children usually grasp the pencil or pen using a fist grip, which then develops into a finger grasp. The ultimate aim is for them to learn how to use a ‘dynamic tripod grasp’, where the pen or pencil is held between the thumb and the index and middle fingers, and they should be able to do this from about three or four years old. The child makes a tripod shape with the thumb and fingers, with the pencil resting on the soft bit between the thumb and forefinger. Help your children learn how to control their individual fingers by singing lots of rhymes where the fingers hide or disappear, such as ‘10 Little Fishes’. Keep an eye on your young writers, and encourage them to hold their writing tool correctly – bad habits are easy to get into but very hard to break.
Stages of Emergent Writing
Stages of Emergent Writing
This diagram shows the stages of emergent writing, although some children may skip stages.
This diagram shows the stages of emergent writing, although some children may skip stages.
Adults Role
Adults Role
The adults in a setting should encourage the emergent writer by:
The adults in a setting should encourage the emergent writer by:
•Modelling writing for a range of purposes
•Modelling writing for a range of purposes
•Scaffolding as you write talking about the process; why and what you are writing.
•Scaffolding as you write talking about the process; why and what you are writing.
•Referring to writing on display around the setting
•Referring to writing on display around the setting
•Encouraging the children to write independently
•Encouraging the children to write independently
•Providing mark making experiences and opportunities around the setting including ICT
•Providing mark making experiences and opportunities around the setting including ICT
•Talking about what they have done
•Talking about what they have done
•Praising and make them proud of all attempts
•Praising and make them proud of all attempts
•Displaying their work for discussion and to stimulate others
•Displaying their work for discussion and to stimulate others
Continuous Provision to Promote Writing Development
Continuous Provision to Promote Writing Development
Activities include:
Working at an easel – painting, drawing, chalking.
Wall paper doodle wall or whiteboard – at kneeling or standing height - outdoors and indoors.
Games/Activities on an interactive whiteboard
Lego wall
Stamping activities - potato printing, fuzzy felt.
Clothes peg games - on a line etc.
Attaching ribbon strips and pipe cleaners to hanging mobiles.
Upright ‘A’ frame with magnetic letters, shapes or jigsaw pieces with velcro attached, velcro story board sequencing
Signing in and snack tokens on vertical wall space to select and return
Working on a vertical /upright surface helps develop writing skills by developing -
Wrist extension – encourages stability in the hand for better control and fluency of writing implements. Discourages neutral or flexed wrist.
Core strength and posture – in kneeling or standing. Working against gravity to hold head and shoulders upright. Reduces slumping in seat.
Shoulder and elbow stability – strong, flexible joints and muscles. Benefits of proximal stability to distal control.
Bilateral co-ordination – use of both hands together to hold paper, stencil or drawing around object (busy hand and holding hand) and develops proprioception and strength.
Midline crossing – on large vertical surface, crosses body with dominant hand to reach all the spaces. Great practice for developing hand dominance. Helps build pathways in the brain – pre-requisite for motor and cognitive development.
Visual attention – closer and directly in front of them, minimising distractions.
SI and spatial – increased sensory feedback. Reinforces directional terms (up, down, left, right) relating words to body movements. Working in high kneeling or standing helps children who are fidgety and need to move.
Creative Area
Creative Area
Tearing paper for collages
Spray bottles filled with diluted paint
scrunching paper
Pump paint dispenser
Manipulation of different items for junk modelling - sticky tapes, glue, etc.
Mark Making
Mark Making
Stubby chalk and crayons (broken into 1inch pieces or ‘Crayon Rocks’)
Social Games/Activities
Social Games/Activities
Tweezer games
Games with clothes pegs - matching etc
Any dice games
Marble games
‘Children learn from interaction with adults directly and from what they see adults doing in their presence.’
‘Children learn from interaction with adults directly and from what they see adults doing in their presence.’
Elizabeth Sulzby (1986)
Provocations and Invitations to Mark Make
Provocations and Invitations to Mark Make
Have you set up a provocation or invitation to mark make that you want to share? Send it to us using the contact us link and we can it add for inspiration for others.
Have you set up a provocation or invitation to mark make that you want to share? Send it to us using the contact us link and we can it add for inspiration for others.
Helpful Resources
Helpful Resources
FT-Exploring-Clay-Pamphlet.pdf
Page updated
Report abuse