What is prewriting skill
Prewriting skills are the foundational skills that a child needs to develop before they are able to write. These skills include both fine motor skills and cognitive skills that help children develop the ability to control the movements of their hands and fingers, and to understand and organize ideas.
Some examples of prewriting skills include:
- Strengthening fine motor skills through activities such as grasping, squeezing, and manipulating small objects
- Developing hand-eye coordination through activities such as tracing, drawing, and coloring
- Learning about shapes and lines through activities such as shape puzzles and drawing with different types of lines
- Improving visual-spatial skills through activities such as matching, mazes, and puzzles.
- Developing the ability to use both hands together through activities such as stringing beads, lacing cards, and cutting with scissors
- Improving dexterity, control and balance through activities such as drawing, cutting and pasting, playing with play dough, and using tweezers to pick up small objects.
What's included in prewriting skills
Fine motor skills are the small muscle movements that are necessary for writing. These skills include grasping, squeezing, and manipulating small objects. To strengthen fine motor skills, children can engage in activities such as:
- Playing with Play-Doh or modeling clay
- Stringing beads or lacing cards
- Cutting with scissors
- Using tweezers to pick up small objects
- Turning pages of a book
- Using buttons, zippers, and snaps
- Coloring and drawing with crayons, markers, and pencils.
Hand-eye coordination is important for children to be able to control the movement of their hands and fingers. Children can improve their hand-eye coordination by engaging in activities such as:
- Tracing shapes and letters
- Following a path with their finger
- Drawing and coloring
- Cutting with scissors
Visual-spatial skills are the ability to understand and organize ideas. Children can improve their visual-spatial skills by engaging in activities such as:
- Matching games
- Puzzles
- Building blocks
- Putting together a jigsaw puzzle.
The ability to use both hands together is important for children to be able to write. Children can improve this skill by engaging in activities such as:
- Stringing beads or lacing cards
- Cutting with scissors
- Using tweezers to pick up small objects
Dexterity, control, and balance are important for children to be able to write. Children can improve these skills by engaging in activities such as:
- Drawing, cutting and pasting
- Playing with play dough
- Using tweezers to pick up small objects
- Playing with small objects that require dexterity
Prewriting activities for kids
Play dough manipulation: This activity helps children develop their fine motor skills by squeezing, rolling and shaping the play dough into different forms. Children can also use different shaped tools to make designs and patterns in the play dough.
Lacing cards: This activity helps children develop their fine motor skills by threading a shoelace or yarn through the holes on the lacing cards. Children can also learn different shapes and colors as they lace through different shaped cards.
Tracing: This activity helps children develop their fine motor skills by tracing over different shapes, letters, and numbers. Children can also learn different forms and shapes as they trace.
Scribbling: This activity helps children develop their fine motor skills by scribbling on paper. Children can also learn different colors and textures as they scribble with different materials.
Cutting with scissors: This activity helps children develop their fine motor skills by cutting along straight and curved lines. Children can also learn different shapes as they cut different forms of paper.
Stamping: This activity helps children develop their fine motor skills by stamping patterns on paper. Children can also learn different shapes and colors as they stamp with different shaped stamps.
Finger painting: This activity helps children develop their fine motor skills by smearing and mixing paint with their fingers. Children can also learn different colors and textures as they finger paint.
Drawing: This activity helps children develop their fine motor skills by drawing with different types of materials. Children can also learn different colors and shapes as they draw.
Sand play: This activity helps children develop their fine motor skills by making designs and patterns in the sand. Children can also learn different textures as they explore the sand.
Water play: This activity helps children develop their fine motor skills by painting with water. Children can also learn different colors as they paint with different paint brushes.
Sticker play: This activity helps children develop their fine motor skills by placing stickers on paper or a sticker board. Children can also learn different shapes and colors as they play with stickers.
Collage: This activity helps children develop their fine motor skills by cutting and pasting different materials to create a collage. Children can also learn different textures and shapes as they work with different materials.
Stringing beads: This activity helps children develop their fine motor skills by stringing beads to make a necklace or bracelet. Children can also learn different shapes and colors as they string different shaped beads.
Sensory bin: This activity helps children develop their fine motor skills by exploring different textures and shapes with their hands. Children can also learn different textures as they explore the materials in the bin.
Pegging: This activity helps children develop their fine motor skills by pegging clothespins onto a pegboard or string. Children can also learn different shapes as they peg different shaped clothespins.
Stencils: This activity helps children develop their fine motor skills by tracing over the shapes with stencils. Children can also learn different shapes as they trace.
Building blocks: This activity helps children develop their fine motor skills by building different structures with blocks. Children can also learn different shapes and sizes as they build.
Playing with toys: This activity helps children develop their fine motor skills by playing with toys that require fine motor skills, such as Legos, blocks, or puzzles.
Playing with play kitchen: This activity helps children develop their fine motor skills by cooking and baking with a play kitchen. Children can also learn different shapes and sizes as they use different kitchen tools.
Playing with musical instruments – Give children musical instruments and have them use their hands to make different sounds and rhythms.
It’s important to note that prewriting skills are a gradual process and it’s important to provide a variety of activities that will help children develop them. Also, it’s important to remember that children learn best when they’re having fun, so try to make the learning experience as engaging and enjoyable as possible.