Jan Pierce, M. Ed.
Nothing is more exciting than watching our children learn to
read and write. The good news is if they’ve heard hundreds of stories, have
books to interact with, have access to writing materials and see you model
reading and writing in everyday life, they’re just chomping at the bit to learn
to read and write, themselves.
It’s a Challenge
Learning to write with conventional spelling is no easy
feat. Imagine starting over again in a new language in which there are twenty-six
times two symbols, dozens of sounds made by said symbols and a list of rules as
long as your arm, all with exceptions. You might just pass on that bit of
learning.
But your child can’t pass. Reading and writing are the
doorways to learning. They need those skills and will use them for the rest of
their lives. And, let’s face it; kids have the capacity to persevere where we
adults might be prone to giving up.
Reading and Writing =
Literacy
You can’t talk about writing without including reading
skills. Emergent literacy is the term we use when children gain knowledge, bit
by bit, gradually gaining understanding of the way the English alphabet works.
Young children, even babies and toddlers are in the process
of becoming readers and writers. As we adults expose them to books and provide
a rich learning environment, children make their way through a series of
lessons toward conventional reading and writing proficiency.
From Squiggles to
Words
Here are the stages children move through as they become
more and more skilled in writing.
1. Drawing and
Scribbling
At an early age children begin to understand that messages
are conveyed with pencil and paper. They see words in books, they see letters
and words in their home and in public places, they see their parents reading
the mail and reading books. They want to do that, too. So they begin by making
marks on paper. Even toddlers enjoy scribbling and later drawing. They may tell
you their marks are pictures of a family member or pet, or they may convey the
message they have in their head, “This says I love you, Dad.”
Parents can: encourage every effort at written communication
and suggest more writing projects. This is not the time to “correct mistakes.”
Their efforts are not mistakes, they are developmental strides toward real
words and sentences.
2. Letter and
Letter-like Forms
Children are learning the alphabet via books, songs, labels,
and written messages in their environment. Not that they are trying to
reproduce those letters. They may try a circle shape for the round letters and
straight lines or block shapes for others. They begin to understand that
letters are strung together and move from left to right.
Parents can: model writing real words such as family names,
posting labels for common items around the house, and continue to provide any
writing information the child asks for.
3. Beginning and Ending
Sounds
As they learn the sounds that each letter says, they’ll try
to string them together into words. They understand that they must use certain
letters in a certain order and add spaces in between. Each word carries
meaning. They’ll hear the beginning sound of words first, thus a letter c or k
may mean cat. Later they’ll include the ending sounds (ct) and some children
notice dominant sounds in the middle of words such as bbl for bubble.
Parents can: begin to print out three and four letter words
for their children. Help them notice that each sound works together to make the
word. Write their name and let them copy it. Encourage any independent writing
and champion their efforts.
4. Invented Spellings
Now our little writer is cruising. The vowel sounds which
are so tricky and unpredictable may be wrong, but the writing is now both
legible and understandable. “I rod mi bik.” Since the words approximate the
correct spellings, they get their message across to readers.
Parents can: provide lots of opportunities for the child to
respond in writing. Work on vowel sounds, both long and short during short lessons,
but allow the invented spellings in their writing efforts.
5. Conventional
Spellings
Through much trial and error, study, and the reading of many
books, children finally arrive at conventional spellings of our English
language. Even adult writers continue to misspell many words since English has
so many similar sounds and so many exceptions to our rules.
READ MORE: Squiggles to Words: The Emergent Writer
Your Role
You, the fortunate parents, have the joy and privilege of
directing your little writers toward success. Your child will move through the
various stages at his or her own pace—sometimes hovering between two levels for
a time before moving on. There is no rush. The focus should be on writing as a
tool of communication and it should be enjoyable.
As much as possible, encourage writing growth through
authentic writing tasks. Let’s say you want to learn French. Which would you
rather do, trace five words in that language beginning with a certain letter,
or try to write a short letter to your friend? Fill in the blanks on the names
for food items or make a real grocery list or order from a lovely French
restaurant menu?
Children tire of rote memory work. Sometimes it is
necessary, but usually there is a better, more authentic option. Have them
write to a pen pal, tell the story of their pet’s life, write an invitation to
a friend for a sleepover—you get the picture. Give them a real reason to
practice and then the “work” is also fun.
Reading and writing are essential tools for learning. They
open the door to knowledge about anything at all in this great big world. You
can help your child master reading and writing at the earliest age possible by
providing a positive learning environment in your home from day one.
Read books, engage in conversations, make books and writing
materials available, and give lots of praise for any and all reading and
writing efforts. You’ll be amazed when your child asks, “Mom, How do I spell
(you add the big word.)”
Jan Pierce, M.Ed., is
a retired teacher and reading specialist. She is the author of Homegrown Readers and Homegrown Family Fun: Unplugged. Find
Jan at www.janpierce.net
For Further
Information
www.readingrockets.org
How Do I Write…? Scaffolding Preschoolers’ Early Writing Skills by Cabell, Totorelli and Gerde
www.parents.com
Letter Perfect: Helping Kids Learn to Write by Megan
Othersen Gorman