Mommy Academy

2010-07-22

Teacher Says

The write stuff
Getting your kids to master the art of writing

WRITING is a skill that kids need to master as early as possible. After all, many of life’s activities involve writing—filling out forms, writing letters, answering tests, signing documents and others. Legible penmanship is also very important so that the written communication can be read quickly and easily. I could still remember some of my college professors complaining how they would give up reading an essay and give it a failing mark simply because the handwriting was unreadable.
To get children into the writing habit, it would be great if they could see the task as natural as say, breathing or eating. Writing could be seen as an art of self-expression instead of a chore.

In my experience as a preschool teacher, I have noticed that there is no other way to facilitate good writing except through practice, practice and practice. It’s like riding a bike; you get better at it the more you do it. But how do you get the kids to write and write? Here are some insights and tips:

Start simple. Writing books, whether they’re for preschool or grade school, always start with simple to more complex strokes. My sister, who’s also a preschool teacher, explains writing through common strokes. For example, the letter C is a half circle, the capital letter B is made up of a vertical line and two half circles and the capital letter D is a vertical line and a half circle. Younger kids, two to three years old, could practice by writing lines and circles. It’s only natural that their initial figures are awkward and wavy. The alphabet letters they write are bound to get better in time!

Copying. Writing is one activity where copying is a good thing. I’ve noticed that kids like copying words that are meaningful to them, like the names of their favorite superheroes. I was amazed that a five-year-old student was able to write the word “Lastikman” from memory. Writing that word also means that he was also able to read the name already.

Another student, just six years old, who could not only write the name Spiderman but also draw the webbed creature in fine detail. Some kids start with copying the words in magazines, comic books or newspapers. Eventually, when they see and write the words more often, they learn to write them on their own.
Combine writing and art. Card-making is always an enjoyable activity for kids. It is also very meaningful. Once they become aware that they are writing to their mom or dad they become excited to express their messages in writing. They start asking me questions like, “Teacher, how do I write ‘I love you?’” I proceed to write the phrase on the board or dictate the letters to them.
It also helps to give children a variety of writing instruments beyond the usual pencils. They can also use crayons, craypas, pentel pens, and markers. As educator Alexandra Gordon says, “When your student sees the art in writing by hand, it may become a joy to create rather than a chore.”

Finally, donít rush! No one can write legibly if he or she is in a hurry. I always allot at least 30 minutes for my Prep kids to copy their homework from the blackboard. After only a few minutes of writing, some of them claim that they’re already tired. All the more I tell them to keep trying. Sometimes, I dictate the letters to them so they can focus on putting the words onto the page. For me, it’s more important to see them more adept at writing the letters than being able to copy what’s written on the blackboard.

Gordon gives this further insight from her friend Dr. Linda Silverman: “If you have ever watched your grandmother or great-grandmother write, you know that the process was a slow and deliberate flow of forming letters from a writing utensil. People of that generation were encouraged to pursue beautiful penmanship as an expression of their soul, not rush through and produce illegible chicken scratches. Writing should not be a rushed event.”