Developing a child’s ability to write and convey meaning begins at an early age. At St. Francis, we begin in our two-year-old classroom. When our children name their scribble drawings, our teachers write their words on the page. This is one way they can begin to associate words with pictures. This practice is also done through reading books in our classrooms and from the school library. As a child gets older, the scribbles of lines and circles become more representational and the descriptions of their work become more precise. Children begin to think in terms of pictures or symbols, and then begin to represent the world around them. Our three- and four-year-olds become aware that writing is a form of communication.
You can support your child’s literacy growth by reading books and by taking dictation of their drawings. Talk about the book you’re reading together and make predictions about what could happen next. You can even create your own books together – all you need is an imagination, paper, and crayons!