Have you ever wondered about the development of writing?
Have you noticed that your child is now having a go at writing new words, is more interested in copying your writing, asks how to spell words, sounds out words when writing? These are all really great signs. But what comes next?
Hopefully, the following information will give you some idea of what you can expect from your child throughout the year.
Children learn to walk and talk at different rates! Reading and writing are no different!!!
Children learn to walk by walking, they learn to talk by talking.
Children learn to write by writing and to read by reading!!!!
Often writing starts with marks on a page and then as children learn the letters and the sounds each letter makes, they may start by using just the beginning sounds of words and words from around the room. For example..
Then as confidence grows children will start to have a go at listening to sounds in words and attempting to write more for themselves.
From this piece of writing we can see that this child understands that..
- Print goes in a straight line from left to right.
- Print is made up of letters that we put together to make words.
- Words have spaces between them.
- Sounds in the words can be recorded by using letters.
You may hear me say that if you can say it- you can write it! This is why we spend so much time learning the sounds that make up the English language.
We learn what each letter looks like and what it sounds like.
How to reproduce it properly…..remembering to start at the correct spot.
How to pronounce it properly. Articulation is a big part of our spelling program. If you do not pronounce words and sounds correctly, it is difficult to record that word. For example; if you do not stick your tongue out for “th” you will be hearing “ffff” or maybe even “vvv” and that is what you will write.
Of course, we are also learning about punctuation and grammar!
Remembering that children learn to write by writing, you will notice that there are time when some words are not corrected. Just as when they learn to talk, we don’t correct every error during a writing conference, that would just be disheartening for some children and they would be reluctant to try again.
By the end of the year your child should be an independent writer, willing to have a go at new words and challenges that involves writing. Sure there will be mistakes. Mistakes are part of learning. We are all well on the way to being independent writers in 02!