Early Mark Making

Learning to write is much more complicated than just picking up a pencil and doing it. There are several skills that children need to have in place before writing can begin. They need to...

• Have good, strong muscles in their shoulders, wrists and arms, as well as their hands and fingers.
• Know what writing is about and what it is for.
• Be able to use a pen or a pencil with an effective grip.
• Be able to make marks in a variety of ways.
• Be motivated to write.

In foundation stage we plan for many activities that develop these areas.

We like to get little fingers moving...

Here the children are playing with a simple mix of cornflour and water. They love to spend time scooping it up and to feel it going from solid to liquid through their fingers. Try this at home in a small tray. You can even add food colouring to make it more interesting. Be warned - this can get messy!

Playdough is excellent for children to poke, pinch, squeeze, stretch and squash. It is easy and cheap to make at home, and will keep for a long time in an airtight container.

Threading is also excellent for developing  the fine motor control needed for writing. Use pasta shapes and wool to make a necklace or punch holes into thin card and thread wool through.

Painting on a large or small scale is great. Use water and paint brushes and let your little ones loose in the garden to paint whatever they like. Our foundation stage children will often choose to do this outdoors.

There are many other activities that help...

• Ask friends and family if they have any keys and padlocks you could borrow. It is fun to solve the problem of finding the right key to fit the locks!
• Get children too help wash the car. Squeezing sponges is  a great way to develop the muscles.
• Cooking and baking activities use skills such as chopping, mixing, rubbing in and kneading. Fun for the mind and hard on the wrists!
• Hanging out clothes on the washing line.
• Sewing.
• Collect a few jars, bottles or containers with lids. Children can then have fun screwing the lids on and off again.
• Buy some chalks and allow the children to make marks on the floor outdoors. Don't worry - the rain washes it away!
• Make marks in snow, sand and soil with sticks.

Children will then begin to hold a pen or pencil using a grip that they find most comfortable. Sometimes this grip will not resemble a traditional triangulated grip. Please do not force children to adopt this grip before they are ready.