Writing

Long before they can write words or even draw recognisable pictures, most children go through a phase called “mark making”. This involves making marks with pencils, sticks, fingers or paint, in short almost anything on any surface.

Praise this “writing” and pretend it means something-this helps your child to become a “writer”. Give real purpose to your child’s writing experiences, without purpose children can quickly be “put off” from writing. 

Model your own writing to your child, let them help with writing shopping lists, notes and messages. Start a scrap book of mementos such as tickets, photos or postcards and encourage your child to help you date and label them. Model how writing works deciding what I want to write before you begin.