Monday, October 18, 2010

Can Play Dough Help My Child Be a Better Writer?

As parents, we are told not to compare our child to others because each child develops at their own pace.  Let's face it... that's easier said than done, especially with something as visible as their writing.  Have you ever found yourself asking these questions wondering if something is wrong:
  • Why is my child only scribbling when others in his preschool class are writing their names?
  • Why does my child write so big that his name can't fit on a single piece of paper?
  • Why does my child write many of his letters backwards?
These are very common questions asked by parents of very typically developing writers.  



First of all let's revisit the statement, "...each child develops at their own pace."  This is true from birth.  When learning to walk, a baby progresses through many stages of development that strengthen his muscles in preparation for his first steps.  First a baby rolls and then sits on his own. The child slowly begins to crawl, which progresses to pulling up on things and strolling along them.  Until finally, they take that big step toward a loved one.  A parent never would expect them to take their first steps right after they had mastered sitting up.

The same holds true for our young writers.  See below, the developmental stages of writing that are typically represented in a classroom of pre-kindergartners.  It is important, as a parent, to know where your child is in this continuum so that you know how to appropriately support them as a learner.

Now let's revisit our questions from concerned parents.
Q:  Why is my child only scribbling when others in his preschool class are writing their names?

A:  Your child is in a typical stage of writing development for preschoolers.  To move to the next stage in the continuum, your child needs to develop strength and control in his fine motor muscles.  To strengthen these muscles provide the following materials for your child to explore with.
  • play dough:  kneading play dough will strengthen the muscles that your child uses to grip and control a writing utensil.   (click here for some fabulous homemade play dough recipes)
  • hole punches:  the repetitive squeezing motion of a hole punch will strengthen your child's muscles that are used to grip writing utensils.
  • scissors: cutting objects other than paper such as straws, felt and string will promote the dexterity that your child will need to manipulate a writing utensil.
  • broad tip markers:  the wider grip of these are easier to control and markers take less pressure to produce an effect on paper, making exploring more appealing.

Q:  Why does my child write so big that his name can't fit on a single piece of paper?

A:  Children that are merging from the Pre-Literate stages of writing into the Emergent Stages often have a tendency to write larger.  Larger strokes on a paper are easier to control than smaller, more precise strokes.  Now is NOT the time to try to constrain your child's writing to lined paper.  This is a time for free exploration of the movement of letters and transition from a gross motor movement of utilizing their entire arm for writing to practicing moving their fingers to control the movements of their writing utensil.
  • Lacing cards:  using a pincer grasp to manipulate a small thread in and out of holes will promote dexterity in your child's fingers that will enable him to control the strokes of his writing utensil.
  • Finger painting: gliding their fingers along the paint's slick surface is a fun way to practice the movement of shapes and letters.
  • Crayola Pipsqueak markers: these small markers encourage the appropriate placement of your child's pincer grasp that will ensure more control while writing.
Q:  Why does my child write many of his letters backwards?

A:  As children begin to explore with environmental print and attempt to write what they see on paper, often times the written representation of what they see is a skewed version of the original.  Let's put their development into perspective.  This is their first attempt at taking something from their 3D world and representing it with a 2D expression.
Prior to their experiences with the written word, an object retained it's name independent of it's placement in space.  For instance, a cup is a cup whether it is sideways, upside down, or right side up.  With written print, this no longer holds true.  In fact, this transition can be quite confusing until the child has a solid understanding of directionality.  For some children, this is a concept that is not mastered until 6 years old.  So no worries, this too is developmentally appropriate.

Our role, as parents and educators, is simply to determine where our children are and scaffold their learning to the next level...not to make them run before they can crawl. 

26 comments:

  1. you have expressed this so well that i would like to print this out and share it with my parents.if you give permission. thanks.

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  2. This is great!! It is nice to see others with the same philisophy as I have. This was such a great resource for parents as well as Kindergarten teachers. Thanks for sharing this.

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  3. Lori, This site was designed as a resource for parents. Feel free to print off any or all of it to share with your families. If you send me your email, I can even send you a flyer to send home about our site so they can visit on their own.

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  4. Thank you Kelly. It is affirming to have comments that reflect the impact that the site is having on our readers! Thanks for joining us on our journey called 'Destination Kindergarten'!

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  5. This is a great discussion about emergent writing and ways to help kids develop _at their own pace_! Thanks.

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  6. Thank you for the compliment, Scott. Often times, as parents and educators, we are so quick to look for the end result that we forget to notice the small milestones that are occurring through the process of development. We encourage parents to focus on what their children ARE doing and offer tips on how to support them. Feel free to offer any tips that you have found to work too!

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  7. I would love to have a flyer to post on our bulletin or send home to parents. I do a lot of these skills in the classroom - scissor cutting, lacing, play dough, etc... I know why I am doing it, but I can never stress enough to parents the importance.
    My email is af5227@yahoo.com
    Thank you! Amy

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  8. Amy, your email was returned to me undeliverable. Do you have another address that you would like me to try?

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  9. Nice blog Tammy. I learned from you today. I never would have thought of "playing" with a hole punch. What a wonderful, informational site!

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  10. Thanks so much! This is really useful to me!

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  11. I love this, I only have a very basic developmental stages of writing sheet. . .I work in Preschool Special education and I would love to have this up in the classroom. Could you Possibly send me a copy of the stages to sandy@csu.fullerton.edu

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  12. Just wondering if you could possible email me the stages of writing document please?

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    1. You may download here: https://www.sjsd.k12.mo.us/cms/lib/MO01001773/Centricity/Domain/941/Stages of Writing 2010.pdf

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  13. I would like to use the developmental stages of writing, but the file size is too small to be legible if printed. help

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    1. Please find here: https://www.sjsd.k12.mo.us/cms/lib/MO01001773/Centricity/Domain/941/Stages of Writing 2010.pdf

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  14. I love this! It'd be so helpful to show my families, could you email it to me please?
    csassor071112@gmail.com

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  15. I would love to have a copy of your Developmental Stages of writing for my Kindergarteners. My email is vsiulua@gmail.com
    Thanks so much! I can't wait to share this with my team!

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  16. Hey, can I use your photos for my Play Documentation Project? I'm suppose to discuss the importance of play and I need photos that can support it. I can show you the finish product of my work as well.

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  17. I would LOVE to have a flyer to explain these concepts to parents, especially for upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences! Thanks for explaining the stages so well!

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    1. You can download the document here: https://www.sjsd.k12.mo.us/cms/lib/MO01001773/Centricity/Domain/941/Stages of Writing 2010.pdf

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  18. I would love a flier to send home to my parents about your site. I think it is a great resource! Thanks! my email is makaylam_m@yahoo.com

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  19. I'd also love a brochure. This is great info that needs to be shared. Thanks!
    jeanette.keath@ctkschool.com

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  20. Thanks for this information. We are raising a drug baby and he is behind. You have helped me understand that we should not try to rush the catching up.

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  21. This was a great read. I am currently a preschool teacher and love reviewing with my parents, support staff and even reminding myself of the developmental writing levels. Knowing these and ways to foster and prepare students for these skills is a great tool. Where did you get your chart? I would love to send it home to my parents and hang one in my classroom (I like to cite my sources) Thanks so much!

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    1. Ashley, Our school district curriculum team developed this chart using a multitude of early childhood resources on pre-literacy. Feel free to use. You can find a link to the pdf here: https://www.sjsd.k12.mo.us/cms/lib/MO01001773/Centricity/Domain/941/Stages of Writing 2010.pdf

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