Getting Your Toddler Ready to Write

A recent article in my local newspaper said today that many children who enter kindergarten lacking the strength and support they need to start writing. It seems that every year the number of children do not have these skills has increased, in fact, the number doubled in recent years. This alarming statistic is the increased use of TV and computers. The children are now in school, not having the same types of activities carried out by children 20 to 30 years. Years ago, games andactivities to develop children's dexterity required. Do you remember making potholders? Today too much emphasis on playing computer games and typing to create a battery.

During infancy and childhood, children develop the basic skills are refined power and handling during the preschool years. As preschoolers learn to dress and handle snaps, buttons and lace, are refining their motor skills. When they sent in self-help, construction,holding grips, and bimanual control tasks requiring the use of both hands like learning to dress, they will begin to communicate by written expression. When children begin putting pencil to paper they start by scribbling. Scribbling has been described as a type of 'motor babbling' and as the child matures, the forms that arise from scribbling gradually become transformed into printing and writing.

To begin preparing your toddler for writing, it is important to incorporate kinetic activities such as banging sticks, stringing beads and playing a variety of finger games. Tabletop activities like coloring with crayons, finger painting and turning book pages help to develop grip and control. Some manipulative toys, such as puzzles and building blocks, are self-correcting, fitting together in only one specific way. These types of toys only fit together one way and allow children to work until they achieve success. Play dough is a manipulative that can help strengthen a child's fine motor skills. Dough can be rolled into balls, tooth picks can be used to create designs in the dough, and plastic knives can be used to cut the dough (with supervision).

With this information in mind you will start to recognize tasks that you perform during the course of the day that will be great fine motor development tasks for your child. For example, you can teach your child to fold socks together.

It's important to be creative and keep this information in mind when you are choosing preschool learning games and activities for your toddler and preschooler. You will be strengthening your child in mind and body.