It can be surprising the first time you see your child trying to scribble to imitate how adults write. Scribbling is one pre-writing skill that prepares for your child to learn how to formally write. Generally, children progress through drawing and scribbling before they are able to write strings of letters and made up words.
Gaining these pre-writing skills involves more than you might think. Children need to strengthen their hands and fingers, so they can hold a crayon. They need hand-eye coordination so they can direct their hand to write. Then comes the years of practice making lines and symbols as they start to understand the alphabet. If that sounds overwhelming, spend some down time coloring together – oh yeah, pre-writing activities can be super fun!
This topic is a key component of the following early learning domains and goals:
Click here to learn more about the State of Alaska Early Learning Guidelines
Educational Domain: Physical Wellbeing, Health, and Motor Development
Goal: Children demonstrate strength and coordination of fine motor skills
Educational Domain: Communication, Language, and Literacy
Goal: Children use writing for a variety of purposes
