Does even thinking about writing with your preschooler seem like an impossible task? With these writing tips for each age it will be a breeze. You will have them sitting up at the table practicing their writing skills as soon as you’re ready. So, whether you are still stuck at home right now or you are worried about a decrease in fine motor skills and writing check this out!

For three-year old’s writing isn’t so much about the writing as it is about the pencil grip. Small children have to fine tune those motor skills by doing things like using scissors, scribbling, tying knots, or beading. You are still asking them to “write” even if they are just scribbling. This is a good pre-writing skill. They are just one step closer by putting pen to paper and thinking they are writing. The more that you do this and keep a journal of each of their writings you will see the progress. It will go from random scribbles that look more like drawing, to small circular doodles, to wavy horizontal lines, to huge block letters (usually the letters in their name). It is an amazing process to see happen over months of work.

By age four most children have learned to write their name or all or most of the letters in their name. It is very important to them. If you are struggling to get your preschooler to sit and practice writing, then ask them to write their name for you. They will likely be very excited to do so, and even more excited to show you that they did it! Even if they are making repetitive marks they are learning. It is important that when you are showing your child how to write something or making letters for them make sure that you are both facing the same direction (or else they learn to write backwards and upside down).

Five- year old’s have a pretty firm grasp on writing for the most part. Many are still just writing in a made-up language, but much of it is real letters. If this sounds likes your kiddo, they are on a great writing path. Give them writing prompts; tell them to write a story about a dragon. See where they take it, and they will be so excited to tell you their story once they are done. Practice and repetition are a must at any age. If they are struggling with their name, then keep working at that. If they have a weak pencil grip work on fine motor skills. Also, pencil grips are a great tool to use as well. If your kiddo is on it and can do all that you ask them to, then their next level up is to practice writing inside the lines in the paper to start making smaller letters.

Writing is a fun thing to regularly practice with your child, just like reading with them each day. Make fun activities like tracing letters with glitter or colored salt/sugar/rice. Pull out those take out chop sticks and they can make letters out of them. Set up a special writing area for your child it will make writing feel important like it is their job; big hit especially if you already have a home office just build in there.

Have fun writing with your children by making fun games and doing fine motor (pencil grip strengthening) activities. Remember that every child is different; not all will reach the same milestones at the same time. You cannot compare your second child to your first. You cannot criticize your parenting skills either even if you are doing the exact same steps. Writing is a major milestone. Remember back to that first time they sat up; same concept. Only repetition will make for perfection.

Ms. Brooke
Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
Literacy Coordinator

When my oldest son was 9 months old, I took him to his well baby check. His pediatrician asked the basic questions, checked Cameron out, then asked the dreaded question, “is he sleeping through the night?” I knew this was some sort of expectation, but Cameron was nowhere near. I told the pediatrician no, and listened as he told me I needed to let Cameron cry it out and teach him how to sleep longer. My heart was racing, but I went home and shared the information with my husband. That night when Cameron woke up the first time, we waited as he cried. It was heart breaking. I didn’t last very long before my mommy instinct told me to go cuddle and nurse my baby. And I’m so glad I did. What I know now that I didn’t know then is that sleep is developmental, 9 months is a tough time for sleep, and a 5 hour stretch is considered “sleeping through the night.”

Before I dive right in I’m going to say that I know everyone parents the best they can, with the best intentions for their children. This is definitely not about shaming or putting down a certain technique. It’s simply information that made my life a lot easier when my boys were babies and that influences how I care for the babies I’m with every day.

When we learned that letting Cameron cry himself to sleep wasn’t going to work for our family, I found myself wanting to know more. Why was it so important that babies sleep all night? I don’t sleep all night! How are babies supposed to learn to self-soothe if they aren’t able to trust the very adults caring for them? Why is slef-soothing even an expectation for a tiny human who can’t talk? I know I have a hard time calming down sometimes, and I have quite a few tools in my arsenal to help me do it. Somewhere along the line, society decided that babies needed to be seen and not heard. Expectations were placed upon them that most grown adults can’t even meet. There are all sorts of parenting books on the market that support strict scheduling for babies, only feeding at certain times, letting babies cry, and the big one, not spoiling your baby.

The sad truth is that a lot of this information has been linked to infant dehydration and failure to thrive, damaged neurons in our infants’ brains, and an overall lack of trust between infant and adult. Babies are born with 100 billion neurons. (Yes, that many!) During their first 3 years, synapses, or connections, between those neurons are made. From birth to age 3, the number of synapses per neuron grows from 2500 to 15000! This is why early childhood is such an important time in a child’s life. Babies have specific periods where synapses are made at higher speeds. I personally discovered The Wonder Weeks when Cameron was around 10 months old, and I wish I had sooner. The Wonder Weeks are specific periods of rapid brain development, usually marked by extra fussiness, more frequent sleep interruptions, and the need for more cuddles. For me, it was helpful to know what was going on and why.

Early stimulation sets the stage for how children will learn and interact with others throughout life. A baby’s experiences, good or bad, all play a part in the wiring of his brain. Loving interactions with caring adults strongly stimulate a child’s brain, causing synapses to grow and existing connections to get stronger. Connections that are used become permanent. If a child receives little stimulation early on, the synapses will not develop, and the brain will make fewer connections. This means that when a baby is responded to when crying and held and comforted, connections are made and strengthened in his or her brain. If you take anything away from that, it’s that you can’t spoil a baby! Hold your baby, feed your baby, play with your baby, whenever and however you can. You’re setting them up for success and not the other way around.

It doesn’t stop when they’re no longer infants either. My boys are 6 and 3 and I still respond to them as quickly and lovingly as I can. They both end up in our bed often. I write this as my 3 year old sleeps next to me! He was scared and knows that I’m a safe place. One day they won’t need this from me, but that will be on their own terms. No matter what happens in life, I think that’s one of the biggest parenting goals ever.

Ms. Amy
Infant Nursery Supervisor
Parent Connection Coordinator

During stressful times it can cause your preschooler to act out or not be themselves. When we feel stress as parents our babies can feel that and most of the time will not understand or have a hard time finding words for emotions they feel. During this time at home I had my preschooler journal almost daily. I made the prompts very simple for him, explained different emotions as we went on, and made other fun activities to practice fine motor skills within his journal. This is a super easy thing to implement in your home, it can be fun for them and many great conversations can come from having your preschooler journal.

Start by getting a notebook, markers, pencils, stickers, bingo dotters, and any other fun writing items you may have at home. Having your kiddo decorate and write their name on the cover is a great way for them to take ownership and feel connected to their journal. One of the daily prompts I gave him was to draw something that made him sad and happy. It was really interesting to see what was on his mind daily. We were able to have good conversations about things that were bothering him and things that excited him. Depending on the age of your child, you could have them write along with their drawings, even if they are not getting the words all correct. This is also a wonderful way to include additional writing practice which will help them become more advanced in their writing abilities and gain stronger fine motor skills. I also introduced more advanced feelings of worried, excited, scared, and silly. I would also share my feelings of the emotions we were discussing in order for him to see that mom feels these things too. Take the time to really listen during this part of journaling, make it meaningful and fun!

I also included other fine motor and writing activities in his journal to keep him busy and have fun. Some other ways to practice these skills are having your child practice writing numbers and letters on their own or tracing. We would pretend he was taking my order; I would call out numbers, he would practice writing as if he were making a ticket. It was a fun way to make a game out of his journal writing. If your child is not ready to write on their own, find a highlighter or marker to trace out the numbers/letters for them.

Another fun activity we did was a sticker map. I made a wavy line for him to peel and place stickers on the line. We added a dot for the start and an X for the finish. Along the way we drew in small pictures to make it more like a map. He really loved this idea and had a lot of fun placing the stickers on the line. We usually give him small packs of stickers on holidays, such as in his stocking or with his Easter basket. I store them all in a pencil pouch which is handy to have and is easy to find and store.

Having a journal for your kiddo to have a space of their own to express their feeling is something I really recommend at least trying! We also do journals like this at YSA once they reach the preschool level. So having an even deeper connection from school to home will be beneficial! I love saving them for him when he gets older too. It is an amazing way to connect and see progress in your child in such a fun way!

-Ms. Whitney
Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
Curriculum Coordinator

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