1. Supporting your child with developing their early writing skills
Parents Workshop 28th & 29th April
Welcome
INSERT PICTURE OF A CHILD IN SCHOOL WRITING

2. Supporting your Child’s Early Writing Development
Facts about Writing
Writing is a vital life skill in our society
Writing is not easy to learn or to teach- it is a complex set of skills
Writing is needed for all areas of learning in school
Writing can be functional and creative
Two clear parts of teaching writing – secretarial and compositional
Children who can write well have higher self esteem

3. Writing expectations for Nursery age children
Keep in mind each child is an individual and will develop at different speeds
Nursery
Draws lines and circles using gross motor movements
Holds pencil between thumb and 2 fingers, no longer using whole hand grasp
Holds pencil near point between thumb and 2 fingers and uses it with good control
Can copy some letters EG from their name
Sometimes give meaning to the marks they make
Ascribe meaning to marks they see in different places
Reception
Shows a preference for dominant hand
Begin to use anti-clockwise movement and retrace vertical lines
Begin to form recognisable letters
Uses a pencil and holds it effectively to form recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed
Write some irregular common words leading to writing simple sentences
Spell some words correctly and makes phonetically plausible attempts at others
Repeatable learning objectives taught throughout the school. Mile stones/ expectations become more challenging as they develop as writers. This is in line with NC 2014.
Could we show/ talk about some examples of writing at expected levels here??

4. Understanding the Stages of Learning to Write
Developmental stages of children’s early writing
Random scribble
Scribble that looks like writing
Individual shapes that look like letters
Some real letters used randomly (especially letters form their names)
Letters and shapes written from left to right across the page
Individual letters used to represent words (initial sounds)
More than one letter used to represent a word
Transitional Phases
Standard Spelling

5. How we teach early mark making
Carefully plan the provision that encourages mark making in all areas of the Nursery
Develop gross motor skills
Develop fine motor skills and strength in hands
Involve the children in purposeful mark making through role-play, writing labels for display, writing messages, drawing maps
Opportunities for some focused writing sessions
We talk with the children about any marks they make drawing, chalking, painting, IWB
For each phase/ meeting we could tailor this by giving examples of activities/ show photos? Read out some amazing writing by some of our kids??

6. Provision in the Nursery
Stimulating writing area
Sensory activities planned daily
Opportunities to write planned for indoors and outdoors
Mark making tools and resources provided in all areas
Focused activities to support children’s development of all gross and fine motor skills

7. Development of gross motor skills
Able to draw circles & straight lines
PE sessions – gym, games (skipping, tennis)
Tennis rackets bubbles
Climbing – during PE sessions, using outdoor equipment, trees
Window washing
Using ribbons and scarves to make large movements
Movement and dance sessions
Building with large blocks
Jedi or wand writing

8. Development of fine motor skills
Using tweezers
Finger rhymes
Cooking – chopping, mixing
Play-dough – rolling, twisting
Using small construction EG Duplo, blocks
Using different tools to make marks
Pegs and peg boards
Using clothes pegs
Painting, drawing, chalking

9. Opportunities to write and make marks

10. Moving children’s mark making on

11. What can parents do? * Make your home a ‘Reading’ home
* Surround your children in rich language
* Opportunities to strengthen gross motor movements EG climbing, playing tennis, using monkey bars
* Opportunities to develop fine motor movements EG cooking, using play-dough, small construction sets
* Let your child see you as a writer writing lists, notes, letters, s, diaries and encourage them to ‘write’ for the earliest age EG signing cards, adding to shopping lists
* Use opportunities in the environment around you EG writing in steam in the shower, in the sand on the beach, in the mud, in paint, shaving foam
* Take part in the REAL project
Value all attempts they make at mark making