Help children learn to write

 It can be an exciting time for parents when their children first ask how to write their own name, and later, how to spell certain words.  

Parents who have accurate knowledge to guide their children appropriately in these first attempts assist them in two ways. Firstly, children learn readily at this stage because their interest and motivation is high. Secondly, by providing children with accurate knowledge, parents reduce the probability of children forming habits which may not only be counterproductive but may also need to be unlearned when they commence school. Examples of these habits include holding pencils inappropriately and uncomfortably; using upper case letters exclusively; using a different script to that which will be used at school; forming letters incorrectly; and an over dependence on adults to spell the words they write.  

Parents can avoid these habits by following a few simple guidelines:  

• Use lower case letters for all but the first letter of your child's name, which should be in upper case. Similarly, the letters of the alphabet are best introduced to children in lower case. For example, the first four letters of the alphabet written in upper case are 'ABCD', and when written in lower case are 'abcd’.  
• Familiarise your child with the script used by the school your child is most likely to attend. For example, on the Sunshine Coast (Queensland, Australia), this will probably be what is known as Queensland Cursive.  
• Introduce children to correct letter formation from the start. For example, formation of the letter 'b', starts at the top while formation of the letter 'd' starts with the formation of the curve proceeding in an anti-clock wise direction. Forming letters in the correct way reduces the likelihood of children confusing letters such `b’, 'p' and ‘q' and makes for an easier transition to running writing at a later stage. By the time children are asking to write their name, they are able to understand your that letters are formed in a specific way.  
• Demonstrate the correct pencil grip as soon as your child wants to write. Note this is usually at the same time as your child is asking you how to write their name and how to spell other words, but not at the very early stage when toddlers enjoy scribbling and rely on a palmar grasp. The correct grip is with the thumb and forefinger holding the pencil which then rests on the middle finger for balance.  
• Schools usually include the information required for the issues raised above in their literature for parents. Alternatively, most newsagencies and bookstores have books which simply and clearly provide this information.  
• Avoid becoming pedantic about the correct spelling of words. This can create a problem because children can become unwilling to attempt to spell words for themselves. “Creative” spelling is soon replaced by convention spelling when children are formally introduced not only to individual letters and the sounds they make, but to the concept that letters combine with other letters to form quite different sounds. They also learn that sounding out individual letters is not always useful e.g. the blends ‘ch’ and ‘oo’ sound are sounded out quite differently.  

It is wonderful to see your child explore the writing process. However, it is clear that with a small amount of correct information and input parents can help their child in a way that readies them for school and avoids problems.   The best guide is to remember that writing is simply a means of communicating. The more children practise the better they become. Rules apply whenever children are learning to write, but they will inevitably make mistakes. It is from these mistakes they learn.