Children the age of four and under (the typical age range of preschool students), are not typically capable of complex writing but that does not mean that they should not be encouraged to write. Children who see adults and older children writing may seek to mimic that behavior, even if they do not yet comprehend how words and sentences are formed, by drawing something that resembles the written word but may be unintelligible.

Experts warn parents against correcting children who create such nonsensical doodles because this early preschool writing activity shows a desire to learn the skills involved in writing. To criticize this behavior, even gently, may discourage future attempts to acquire these valuable skills.

In the Classroom

Teachers in these early days of education may encourage children to write stories, using pictures rather than words, to inspire a desire for self expression. As the children increase their fluency in storytelling, they may be introduced to the letters that make up the words to describe their pictures.

A preschool writing activity begins slowly by teaching the children what letter each picture in their stories start with. For example, they would not be expected to spell out the word “pizza” on their first day, but they may learn the “p” sound that begins the word and be encouraged to find other words beginning with the same sound. Such a preschool writing activity helps children to learn to associate letters with the sounds that they make.

In the Home

In order for these new concepts to stick in the mind of a child, they must be reinforced at home. An appropriate writing activity for preschool age children is to help them make cards to give to people. Parents can start by letting the child draw a picture and then asking them what message they would like to write to go with the picture.

If the child does not know how to write any or all the words, parents can guide them through the process. It is very important, as with any preschool writing activity, to allow for mistakes and keep the tone of the project one of fun and not criticism. Parents must remember to offer praise for writing accomplishments and not focus on the negative. Children of this age should not be expected to grasp complex sentence structure or form letters perfectly, because it should be an exciting learning process.