Emergent writing describes children’s first attempts at writing, and this can look like anything from scribbles, lines, and pictures, to letter-like shapes. Researchers note that children as young as two begin to imitate writing by drawing or making symbolic marks. As children progress in their learning, they gradually understand that writing serves the purpose of communicating. Early childhood educators play an important role in helping children develop their writing skills.
To best support children’s writing, it’s helpful to know the stages of emergent writing, which the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching and Learning identifies as early, middle, and later.
EARLY: In the early stages of emergent writing, children engage in pre-drawing or scribbling. Drawings begin as marks with no meaning attached to them, and as children grow, they may attribute meaning to their scribbles and their scribbles may demonstrate left-to-right progression.
MIDDLE: In the middle stages of emergent writing, children begin to understand that letters have meaning and can make words, but do not understand letter/sound relationships. They may create marks that resemble letters, know how to make some letters, make letters backward, or string letters together that do not create words.
LATER: In the late stages of emergent writing, children begin to understand and intentionally use letters to represent sounds. Their writing may take the shape of invented spelling, where they’re able to write the beginning sounds of words, but are still working toward identifying the full range of sounds in words. They will eventually grow into writing full words and phrases, ultimately transitioning to conventional spelling and sentence writing.
To support children as writers, it’s important to know where they are in their development. Creating opportunities for writing to happen throughout the day will go a long way in observing and assessing children’s skills. Here are strategies for promoting emergent writing within your setting:
- Include materials for writing across learning centers. This could involve adding clipboards to pretend play, journals to the science area, or drawing paper in the block area. Having access to paper and writing/drawing tools will enable children to integrate writing and drawing naturally into their play.
- Model the process of writing often. Sit with children in the morning and write a morning message with them. Narrate the message as you write and say aloud any choices you’re making as a writer. For example, explain why you decide to use a period versus a question mark. Explain why the beginning of a sentence begins with a capital letter. Help children understand that writing is a process. Make it a habit to model writing throughout the day.
- Create opportunities for group writing and independent writing. Make time to create stories together during circle time and write down children’s narrations. Make predictions together as a group and log them on chart paper or in journals. Invite children to journal freely during transitions. Bring sidewalk chalk outside regularly for drawing and writing.
- Encourage all attempts at writing and drawing. Talk with children about what they are working on and listen to their ideas. Notice the types of marks they’re making. Rather than correcting children when a letter or word is not what they intended, write their narrations underneath their work. Return to this work on another day and ask them to tell you about it again.
- Involve families. Help families understand emergent writing by showcasing children’s writing and talking with them about the stages of development. Invite families into writing experiences. This might involve having children write their parents/guardians messages and asking them to write back. You could also encourage the creation of written stories at home that children and families later share together at preschool. Encourage families to offer writing materials during playtime at home.
Additional Resources:
Learning to Write and Draw | ZERO TO THREE
How Do I Write…? Scaffolding Preschoolers’ Early Writing Skills | Reading Rockets
What is emergent writing (hhs.gov) (Tips for Families)
Forming Family Partnerships
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