By ages four to five, children will start writing letters. Most children at this age know that written symbols represent messages and may be interested in writing on their own. One of the easiest ways children learn how to write letters is to begin tracing them.
To demonstrate, by the age of three, there are many physical milestones a child should reach. Check out the following list of physical achievements to gauge your child's development. Most children at this age will be able to write their name, write some letters of the alphabet, and draw simple shapes.
Although three and four year olds are (typically) not developmentally ready for handwriting skills, a myth has formed that handwriting and letter formation is, in fact, a preschool skill.
A 5-year-old can usually grip pencilscorrectly and can form both straight and curved lines. This helps her to make letters properly. Thick pencils and crayons are easiest to manipulate. Two key ingredients to writing are knowing what letters look like and practicing making them.
A child is not usually physically and developmentally ready to write during the toddler or preschool years. They will start experimenting with letters on their own and “writing” on their artwork, but they should not be forced to learn the correct letter formation or write on a line.
Helping Your Three-Year-Old Become a Writer
Your three-year-old won't be writing letters yet, but when they observe you writing and have access to crayons, paper and other writing tools, they will begin to explore the world of writing and mark-making at their own pace.
Your 3-year-old now
But writing is one of those developmental milestones that varies greatly from child to child. Don't stress out if your child isn't even interested in writing. A lot depends on fine motor development. Your child may have a clear dominant hand by now (or it may not be clear for another year or so).
Preschoolers: getting started with handwriting
Children usually start to draw straight and circular lines in the preschool years. Your preschooler might even be putting these lines and shapes together to draw people and objects. Your preschooler might also be starting to form letters.
By 5 or 6 years of age, children's finger muscles are more developed and strong enough to grip a pencil correctly, using only three-fingers—their thumb, index, and middle finger.
Experts say that most children learn to read by age 6 or 7, meaning first or second grade, and that some learn much earlier. However, a head start on reading doesn't guarantee a child will stay ahead as they progress through school. Abilities tend to even out in later grades.
Around age 4 (sometimes earlier, sometimes later) is when most children exemplify that they have the interest and fine motor skills necessary to learn to write their name.
As parents of multiple kids will know, this can happen anywhere between about ages 4 through 7 for most kids. Some may be a bit earlier or later. Some children seem to be natural readers who pick up the mechanics of decoding language easily and begin reading for pleasure at a young age.
The average 4-year-old can count up to ten, although he may not get the numbers in the right order every time. One big hang-up in going higher? Those pesky numbers like 11 and 20. The irregularity of their names doesn't make much sense to a preschooler.
Most 3-year-olds can count to three and know the names of some of the numbers up to ten. Your child is also starting to recognize numbers from one to nine. He'll be quick to point it out if he receives fewer cookies than his playmate.
Although all kids are different, the Centers for Disease Control says that by 3 years old, your child should know at least one color, and by age 4, they should know multiple colors.
Developmentally, their visual-motor integration skills are not at a level where they can copy all pre-writing patterns or letters of the alphabet. While there may be some children who can write their name at age 4, other children may not be ready until age 5, and this is still developmentally normal.
Fine motor weakness, in particular weak finger muscles, often results in an awkward grip. When the finger muscles are underdeveloped, it leads to a lack of coordination. You will see kids try to hold the pencil any way they can in order to stabilize it.
Consider your child's age
Developmentally, your 2 to 4 year old's hands will struggle to hold something thin like an adult's pencil. Using adult sized pencils is a recipe for disaster for your child, who is likely to get frustrated and give up.
Children 3 to 4 years of age begin to hold pencils with their five fingers, which is why this stage is known as the Five Finger Pencil Grasp. Take note that some children may not experience this stage and would go straight to the next one, and that is okay too!
Reading fluency occurs when a child has developed the knowledge and skills to recognize words automatically, accurately and quickly. This usually develops at ages 7 to 8.
Many places that still teach it starting in third grade and sharpen it up in fourth grade. Printing fluency is well established. Cursive fluency is established (by the end of 4th grade).
Helping Your Four-Year-Old Become a Writer
Point out simple moments when you are writing and explain why. Let your four-year-old see you make a grocery list, write a thank-you note, text a relative, send an email, or write down a funny thing your child said!
Preschoolers start "writing" by scribbling and drawing letter-like shapes in a large circular motion. Often, a young child's first letters are drawn by accident and then identified by the child or parent.
While any age baby can experiment with fine motor activities, it is not until about 12-18 months that children have developed the hand skills required to grasp and control writing tools with enough coordination not make intentional marks on paper.
Dysgraphia involves difficulty with the act of writing. Difficulties can range from issues with physically writing words to issues with organizing and expressing thoughts in written form.