Pre-Writing Skills Development

Kate Pounder

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kpounder@caldicotesprimaryacademy.org

Today’s session………..

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This workshop will explore:

• The importance of pre-writing skill development and how to promote this in your

setting

• We will look at practical ways to develop gross and fine motor skills

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Physical Development

EYFS Statutory Educational Programme: Physical activity is vital in children’s all-round development, enabling them to pursue happy, healthy and active lives.

Gross and fine motor experiences develop incrementally throughout early childhood, starting with sensory explorations and the development of a child’s strength, co-ordination and positional awareness through tummy time, crawling and play

movement with both objects and adults.

Birth to three – babies, toddlers and young children will be learning to:

• Reach out for objects as coordination develops.
• Pass things from one hand to the other.
• Let go of things and hand them to another person, or drop them.
• Develop manipulation and control.
• Explore different materials and tools.

3 and 4-year-olds will be learning to:

• Use large-muscle movements to wave flags and streamers, paint and make marks.

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• Use one-handed tools and equipment, for example, making snips in paper with scissors.

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• Use a comfortable grip with good control when holding pens and pencils.

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• Show a preference for a dominant hand

Children in reception will be learning to:

• Develop their small motor skills so that they can use a range of tools competently, safely and confidently.
• Suggested tools: pencils for drawing and writing, paintbrushes, scissors, knives, forks and spoons.
• Develop the foundations of a handwriting style which is fast, accurate and efficient.

Discussion…

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What are you currently doing in your setting to develop gross and fine motor skills?

Fine motor skills develop after gross motor skills,

In order to hold their pencil with their fingers, children first need to be able to isolate their fingers from their palm.

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Squiggle Early Writing Programme

What is Squiggle Whilst you Wiggle?

Squiggle uses neurological and physiological movements to create marks. The ‘how to Squiggle’ is beautiful in its fun and simplicity.

Squiggle can be done whole class, in smaller groups or even as a writing intervention.

Lets see it in action!

What is Dough Disco?

Improve literacy skills

Improve fine motor skills

With daily Dough Disco™ a child’s brain learns to control the fingers a lot quicker.

Dough Disco™ is a fine muscle exercise that Shonette invented when she realised the children in her class were struggling to write letters. She studied information on brain development and found the fingers are one of the last things the brain controls during child development.

Stages

1. Squiggle stage
2. Squiggling into writing
3. Letters
4. Letters sequenced
5. Letters huddled
6. Picture labelling (initial sounds)
7. Copying
8. Sentences using single sounds
9. Simple words
10. Sentences that can sometimes be read by the child with support
11. Sentences that can be read by the child
12. Complete sentences using phonetic knowledge.

TASK

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• Write down 1 key takeaway from today’s session

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• Write down one action you will implement tomorrow

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• Write down one action you will look to implement in the future.