There is much talk about children’s attainment at school and the need to raise standards in literacy and numeracy. The expectation that children should have started to read and write by the age of five years can lead parents and practitioners to worry about their children falling behind, and pressure to begin formal tuition at the earliest opportunity.
The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS)
Despite such concerns, the revised EYFS, currently being used in education and care settings in England, is the most developmental framework yet (DFES, 2007). Although the EYFS contains “goals”, these are intended to be points of reference – average expectations for the end of the reception year (the academic year in which children turn five). The framework itself is based on developmental milestones and acknowledges that every child is a unique individual.
The EYFS identifies the following stages of handwriting development for children between the ages of three and a half, and five years old:
- Begin to use anti-clockwise movement and retrace vertical lines
- Begin to form recognisable letters
These developmental stages lead to the early learning goal:
- Use a pencil and hold it effectively to form recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed (Practice Guidance, DFES, 2007, p 58 and 60).
Ready to Write
A child can begin to write if he or she is ready and interested. This notion of “readiness” is very important as children are all different and may not reach the stage of readiness at the same time. If a child can hold a pencil or pen in a steady, comfortable three-finger grasp, then this may be a sign that he or she is ready to form letters.
A younger or less mature child may have difficulty with a three-finger grip, and still be at the stage of “clutching”, in which case a larger mark-making implement may be more appropriate, such as a crayon, paintbrush or jumbo sized chalk. For other children, it may be appropriate for them to explore pre-writing patterns and shapes using squirty bottles or scribing in glittery sand.
In general, children move from large to small movements (gross to fine motor), so it is important to recognise where they are along this developmental pathway and plan learning activities accordingly.
Wanting to Write
A key aspect of the revised EYFS is that of the child’s interests – practitioners using sensitive observations to identify what children are naturally interested in, so that settings can plan relevant and meaningful learning opportunities. This is very important because one of the underlying principles of the writing process is the intention to communicate – writers write because they have something to say which they wish to communicate to others.
The desire to communicate is a strong motivator and engaged learners are more likely to progress than those who are not.
What to Write
When young children first “put pen to paper” they are mark-making rather than engaging in conventional writing. Their marks are significant because they have intention and purpose and are very personal. These kinds of marks should be encouraged and praised as this will build confidence and help the developing child to feel like a valued writer.
As with early reading, parents may be concerned that the child cannot truly read what is on the page, but instead seems to be making it up or reading differently every time. In the early stages this does not matter because the child is exploring the relationship between print and meaning (the spoken word). This connection is extremely important and will gradually develop into a more sophisticated understanding of the 1 to 1 correspondence between letters and sounds.
Initially, the child will make random marks like squiggles, dashes and circles. These pre-writing shapes are the precursor to recognisable letter shapes and can be further developed through zig-zag, circular and wavy patterns. These will reinforce understanding of the left-to-right direction of handwriting across a page or screen, and basic letter shapes such as up-down strokes and clockwise/anti-clockwise writing movements.
Some children enjoy practising handwriting and will want to trace handwriting patterns repeatedly, which is fine if the child chooses to do this. However, it is important to remember that early writing should be a joyful, empowering process, led by the child, rather than merely a series of exercises and drills.
