The writing book - early literacy

The new year at nursery school is very exciting for children entering primary the following September. In January, we distribute the “writing books”. These are regarding with high esteem, as they are only for the older children who are going to “big school”, a status symbol of sorts for pre-schoolers.

It’s worth waiting until your child is developmentally ready to begin this pre-academic skill. Like toilet training, starting too early could prove frustrating.

Each child has his or her own book, which we pull out whenever we have time, to practice writing skills in preparation for school. What constitutes “writing” at this stage varies considerably from child to child, but everyone is encouraged, praised and supported and every page is worthy of a sticker.

What the children all have in common, however, is their love of learning. Every child is more than happy to come and practice skills and the progress we see from page to page is often impressive. Even if your child does not attend pre-school or organized childcare, you too can prepare your child for school. All it takes is a lined notebook, a sharp pencil and, of course, a large quantity of stickers.

To start, you want to determine your child’s level. Do they know how to hold a pencil? Can they flip open the notebook? Okay, you’re ready to begin.

To help your child practice using a pencil, demonstrate how to hold it. Show them. To begin, draw a dot on the left side of the line then a dot over on the far right side of the line. Ask your child to connect the two dots.

Do it several times. Use up the entire first page connecting the dots.

Use imagination, make it fun

If you’re creative, instead of dots, draw a dog on the left and a doghouse on the right, or a stick figure on the left and a bicycle on the right. Use your imagination. Make it fun. And don’t forget the sticker or star once the page is completed.

Right hand or left hand? By this age, you usually are aware of handedness, or which hand your child naturally gravitates toward using. Some children may still use both, starting with the left, then transferring mid-line to the right. Observe which hand your child favours.

Once your child prodigy has mastered the skill of holding the pencil and connecting the dots, you’re ready to graduate to the alphabet. Don’t rush it. Have your child practice with the pencil for as long as it takes for him or her to feel comfortable using it.

I start usually with the upper case letters simply because they’re easier to make, requiring more straight lines than curved ones.

Start with writing the letter “A” on the line, not too large and not too small, and ask your child to copy it, repeating the same letter right across the page. Don't expect perfection and don't correct every imperfection. Then progress to letter “B” and so on, until your child has written the entire upper case alphabet.

Some children may have had enough after writing one or two letters across the page; some will be motivated to continue until you suggest they take a break. For some, the alphabet may take weeks to finish, for others, only a few sittings.

There’s no rush, but it’s a good idea to set aside a few minutes several times a week for “writing” even if it’s only for five minutes each time.

Use words of interest, too

Once the upper case alphabet is completed, I move onto the lower case, using the same process. And when both the upper and lower cases are done, we move on to words, then sentences, then, for some, stories.

For individual words, I use lower case letters, using upper case for capital letters only, such as the first letter of a name. I stick only to upper case letters when a child is having extreme difficulty forming the lower case.

Use words of interest to your child. If he loves vehicles, he will be more motivated to write the word “car” or “truck”. Start with three-letter words. Try rhyming words for repetition, such as “bat”, “mat”, “sat”. I usually write the word, and then ask the child to copy it beneath each letter, using pencil lines for each letter if necessary.

From individual words, we progress to three-word sentences, again, writing it yourself first then having them copy it underneath. Most kids start by using plenty of space and that’s fine.

Have fun with it and keep it positive and upbeat. Let the child choose the themes. Move at their level to avoid frustration. Remember that every page deserves a sticker. And don’t worry; your child will be ready for school when the time comes.

Lila Hope-Simpson is the Director of the Home and Heart Nursery School in Wolfville