5 Early Literacy Practices: WRITE

Writing is the most difficult early literacy practice for me to wrap my head around, but after learning more about it, it’s not as hard as you think it would be!  Writing begins with scribbling – children learn what happens when you press a crayon, marker, pencil onto paper.  A child who makes circles over and over again on a piece of paper is learning how to draw and write language.  Shapes are the beginning of learning how to write letters.
So, encourage children to scribble, draw pictures, write lists and tell stories because this is a vital pre-reading skill.  Look for books that encourage drawing and writing – I love Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson, Monsters Love Colors by Mike Austin and Andrew Drew and Drew by Barney Saltzberg.
When heading to the grocery store, give a preschool child a short list they are in charge of crossing off.  Have your child dictate a story that you write down so they can illustrate it.  Encourage the incessant drawing of circles over and over again as young children learn how to use crayons and other writing tools.