Writing

You can support children’s writing development in these ways:

• Provide time, place, materials and opportunities to play with the language, explore letters and sounds, and experiment with writing

• Model correct ways of forming letters

• Model the recommended posture and handwriting grip. The diagram below shows children’s development of handwriting grip from the “Cylindrical Grasp” to the “Tripod Grasp”

Shared Writing

You can use shared writing to model the writing process. This helps children to link letters to their sounds and to spell and write the words they hear. Encourage them to participate in the writing as they become more familiar with the process. Consider these steps when engaging children in shared writing:

• Discuss about the activity or story that has been read aloud

• Model the writing process of planning, drafting and reviewing by thinking aloud while writing

• Guide children in a discussion of the text

• Encourage independent drawing and writing as a follow-up activity

The Language Experience Approach (LEA) is an example of shared writing. Children talk about and compose stories using their own words based on shared experiences such as a field trip to the zoo or a neighbourhood walk. 

How can you use the shared writing approach to develop children's early literacy skills?

Read on!