Early Writing WorkshopBy Sharon Robertson

We use the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework when working with your children and we focus on the 7 areas of

learning.

We refer to these as 3 prime and 4 specific areas of learning.These areas are:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development

• Physical Development

• Communication and Language

• Literacy

• Mathematics

• Understanding the World

• Expressive Arts and Design

Basic Pre Writing Stages

• Mark making – chalk, pencils, crayons & paint.

• Gross motor play - climb, run, walk, bang, twist, turn, pull, push & ride a bike/scooter.

• Fine motor development – use pencils, paint brushes, finger paints & chop sticks.

• Play dough – develops strength with fingers and hands. Encourage your child to knead, pinch, poke, roll & press.

• Lie on the floor and read a story.

What is a pincer Grip

A pincer grip allows a child to pick up small items using their thumb and index finger. Once your child’s pincer grip has

developed they will be able to use dials, twist door handles, turn the pages of a book, zip up coats, undo buttons on tops

& use pencils with precision.

What does a pincer grip look like?

Examples of a pincer grip in FS1a

How do I support my child developing a secure pincer grip?

• Motivate your child to experiment with writing.

• Encourage children to explore various writing tools.

• Teach your child that spoken words can be written down.

• Lacing & threading activities.

• Popping bubble wrap.

• Posting games.

• Eat noodles using chop sticks.

• Use tongs & tweezers.

• Wind up toys.

• Use scissors and tear paper.

• Paint

• Mark make.

• Squeezing toothpaste through the tube & squeezing water out of sponges.

• Using a hole punch.

• Spray bottles.

Early Writing & Print –It is all mixed up!

• Children are learning how print works.

• That it goes from left to right.

• They are naming and sounding the letters of the alphabet.

• They are gaining knowledge about sounds (phonological awareness).

• They are manipulating sound structures (sentences, rhymes)

• Blending & segmenting - Individual units of sound (phonemic awareness – c / a / t)

• All the above = the foundations of reading.

• Children’s knowledge is constantly being integrated.

• They are developing their oral language.

• Exploring environmental print.

Phonic Knowledge

Children use their phonic knowledge to write letters and words in a vast range of ways that match their

verbal/spoken sounds and words.

Children in FS1a are using around 8-10 languages between them!

What Next?• Daily reading – read to your child everyday even for 10 minutes. Talk about the illustrations

in books, ask your child what characters are in the story? Do they like the story? Why? Why not?

• Gross motor development – running, moving in different directions, move fast/slow, riding their bike, using the stairs independently.

• By now your child should not be using a pram/stroller/push chair on a daily basis, they should not have a bottle or a dummy, they should be having between 10-12 hours sleep per

night and most of all their routines should be consistent.

• Use straws to drink water and milk – build up your child’s mouth muscles.

• Encourage them to water the plants, this will provide lots of opportunities to develop and strengthen cross curricular interests and strengthen their hand and finger muscles.

• Challenge your child by asking them questions and developing their attention. Keep activities short and to the point – use an egg timer to help keep them interested.

• Provide opportunities for your child to use scissors safely.

• Role model a range of verbal sentences and encourage your child to talk in sentences. Share news about your day.

• Sing rhymes.

• Count objects, talk about shapes, describe shapes and build models using construction materials.

Celebrate your child’s mark making & writing!

Useful websites

• http://www.getreadytoread.org/early-learning-childhood-basics/early-literacy/understanding-beginning-writing-skills-in-preschoolers

• https://www.early-education.org.uk/sites/default/files/Making%20their%20mark%20-%20children's%20early%20writing.pdf

• http://www.schoolsparks.com/early-childhood-development/fine-motor