Nursery World - A parent's guide towriting

Imagine the scene. You have begun to write the shopping list and have left a pen and paper on the table. A series of peculiar marks have now appeared and your child beams and announces, 'I can write too'. While for many parents, children's early writing is a bit of a mystery, it is actually part of an important journey towards literacy. The writing process

The writing process

As with many other areas in your child's life, writing is a gradual process. Children's early writing, sometimes referred to as emergent writing, is closely linked to reading. The term 'emergent writing' sums the process up neatly because over time, children's writing really does begin to emerge. At first, we see scribbles and early mark-making but as the child becomes aware of words, letters and symbols, so we begin to see them appear in their writing.

At around four years, many children begin to attempt their name, as this is a word that has a special meaning for them. During this time, you are also likely to see that your child is beginning to show that they understand some of the conventions about reading and writing. Marks and symbols are put down from left to right and your child is likely to 'know' what it is that they are writing about, even though to the adult's eye it still looks mysterious!

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