Toddler Week 83

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Emerging Writing Skills

If you are in the habit of giving your child plenty of artistic and creative materials – which I am sure you are, then you will probably see a fair amount of what we call “emergent writing.”  You may not believe it but those lines, swirls, loops and scribbles your little one creates are all part of emerging writing skills that will become letters and maybe even words in a a couple of months. Encourage him to color pictures, use scissors – child friendly ones of course, and to glue and stick those cut outs onto large pieces of paper.

  • A child of around this age is often beginning to take real pride in their achievements, and it is easy for us to forget how difficult it really is for those small fingers to wield those scissors properly, make that picture, paint that paper. Show you value these masterpieces and keep them somewhere safe.  One way to show you value their efforts and creations is to hang a clothesline on the wall of your child’s play space.  Using clothespins, hang up the art work and drawings for everyone to admire!  It is an easy and inexpensive way to hang lots of artwork without putting tape or holes in the wall.  Although the refrigerator is a popular area to hang artwork, it can become messy and overloaded quickly!  Designating a special space and way to hang the work keeps it under control and displayed nicely.
  • Allow your toddler to paint his arms and legs if he wants too – my own children loved doing this. One of their enduring memories is of being able to paint each other in the garden on a summer day when we could wash them off later with a garden hose.  There are lots of paints on the market, some designed for the bath tub, that do the trick nicely!  Can your little one even make letters on her body?  Can he draw circles, squares or triangles?  What a fun way to practice writing!
  • Another great way to encourage writing while integrating sensory skills is to fill a big baking pan with shaving cream.  Outside you could also do this with the bottom of a large cardboard box.  The texture of the cream is great for toddlers to feel and get used to while the medium enables them to create all sorts of drawings.  With smart phones so popular these days, take a picture of a creation, print it and hang it on that clothespin line!

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