Writing doesn’t come naturally to kids, but it has to be taught. There is a sequential process to follow which includes getting kids comfortable with holding a crayon or thick chalk, then asking them to practice the tripod grip by holding objects firmly, next is trying to hold a pencil correctly, and then proceeding to trace & write big letters on a blank paper. The final stage is eventually being confident to write on the blue & red line book using a pencil. Through this blog, we highlight some activities that are useful in the preparatory phase to enhance the kid’s pre-writing abilities.

Playdough

Kids love rolling, hitting, tearing, and building things with playdough. Getting their hands dirty in the colorful dough is their favorite pastime. So, why not combine playing with some study? At one’s pre-writing phase, i.e., children 3-4 years of age, are yet learning to memorize all 27 letters and their sounds. Most top schools in Dubai and other Middle East regions, encourage kids to learn phonics on the Reading Eggs platform through fun-filled activities and stories.

To make letters out of playdough, simply use cookie cutters in the shape of a letter and ask kids to press it downwards onto the flattened piece of clay, to get an imprint of it. In this way, practice all 27 letters from A to Z, thereby, enhancing the child’s phonetic speech and sensory-motor skills.

If cookie cutters are unavailable at home, use the plastic clay knife that comes with the playdough set and let children write A to Z with the help of the knife on the piece of clay.

Magic Sand

Montessori’s across GCC and world-over, make use of writing trays and fill them up with sand or salt, as an activity to help kids in their pre-writing age. Letters have a specific pattern that they follow and to get used to the flow of writing, children must run their pointer finger over the printed letter again & again, till they get the confidence to be independent.

When children try to write the letters on magic sand, they learn to use the right strokes and begin to practice letter formation correctly. This stage prepares them to use a pencil and actually start writing letters on the blue & red line book. Practice tracing for lowercase & uppercase letters and even cursive formats. You can also ask your little ones to write numbers, draw shapes, and practice strokes, as a pre-writing activity to strengthen their fine motor movements.

Pre-writing Worksheets

Teachers discourage introducing the pencil to kids at first, rather they stress on giving the kids a thick crayon. This is because, kids below the age of 5 do not have the strength to hold the pencil with the correct tripod grip, but holding a crayon is easier. Simply type ‘prewriting’ worksheets on Google and you will find plenty of worksheets for kindergarten students to practice tracing. Even by subscribing to Reading Eggs, users get access to printable worksheets, that can be used to teach kids reading & practice writing. To learn more about Reading Eggs and its availability in UAE, visit our page: <link> The worksheets will have different patterns & lines with zig-zag prints and curvy bends that, improves the child’s ability to control their tiny finger movements and prepares them for formal writing.

Beading

Who thought stringing a thread with beads could teach children something indispensable? This fun craft activity does something very important for kids by teaching them how to manipulate their hand movements. If you think of it, there are many steps involved in the beading process, and each one plays a role in improving the finer movements of the fingers & hand. Kids start by picking up beads, and this exercise of merely lifting the bead between two pinched fingers is a good start. Next, the kid has to figure out where the hole of the bead is located, and this involves rotating the bead, which improves eye-hand coordination. Finally, threading the bead with one hand and holding the string in the other, will level-up preschoolers for what lies ahead of them.

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