
Pre-writing, or writing warm-ups, are activities that strengthen the eye-hand coordination and fine muscle control needed for writing. They are a great way to get your preschooler ready for writing!
Here is a list of pre-writing ideas that we have used:
- Dressing: Have them zip, button, lace, and snap their own clothing.
- Sewing: Have them sew with a large plastic needle and yarn. Button sewing is one of my favorites.
- Drawing: Encourage lots of this and supply them with pencils, markers, crayons, chalk and more!
- Tracing: We use sandpaper letters, Quilted Rag Letters and print.
- Transferring: Transfer beans, popcorn, cotton balls, pom poms from one container to the next usung tongs or water using an eye dropper or turkey baster.
- Cutting: Have them cut freely and also along lines and shapes they have drawn.
- Folding: "Fold, press, flip" repeated over and over to make an accordian fan.
- Stringing: String beads, buttons, Cheerios, macaroni or cut up straws.
- Writing Devices: Keyboard, Typewriter, label makers, rubber stamp alphabets, magnetic letters...
I keep a box filled with different writing supplies to write on - stationary, card stock, printer paper, lined paper, sticky notes, pads of paper, mini- notebooks, index cards, scrap paper, construction paper, graph paper and more. I like to keep a portable "Writing Center" for on the go. A zippered pencil case holds a small pad, index cards, pencils, colored pencils, scissors, and a glue stick. That way they can write anytime, anywhere!
We also have a large chalkboard, mini chalk boards and white boards for writing.
A few concepts from Ruth Beechicks book, The Three R's, that I will be implementing more with my preschooler include:
- Copying - I will continue to write models for her to copy.
- Dictation - I will dictate models for her to write.
- Creative writing - I will let her make up her own writings.
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This looks great, Michelle. I agree with the concepts of copying, dictation, and creative writing. About two years ago I had to go back and begin some of this with my then eight year old daughter, and it has really made a difference for her moving forward. (Yes, she's way out of preschool, but the method will still work.)
ReplyDeleteHi, Michelle,
ReplyDeleteI hopped over from Special Needs Homeschooling. Thanks for these awesome tips! I will definitely back when I have more time to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and browsing your site!
Thanks Michelle :-) you have so many great tips to share to help foster and encourage a love of learning in our children. Your posts really inspire me to keep going and to try new things!
ReplyDeleteLots of love,
Lus x