Your 3-4 year old child has been experimenting with writing, the physical act of creating marks to convey a message, for quite some time now. He very likely started with chunky crayons, finger paint, and other easy-to-use materials. But as his fine motor skills have developed further, he’s now able to use proper writing utensils, like pencils, pens, and markers. You may see him holding his pencil with a pincer grasp, instead of his whole fist, or you may even see him use a proper grip. You’ll also see your child using these materials with more ease and control, creating letters and pictures that may now be more recognizable to you. Encourage his early writing whenever you can by making it easy for him to access his writing supplies and incorporating it into play, like letting him sign cards, write letters to send, or take your order at his “restaurant.”

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Play Tips:

How can you support your child’s development of this Early Writing skill at this age? It’s as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Keep writing materials readily available. Pencils, paper, and other writing materials are all supplies that your child should be able to access whenever the mood strikes him. Perhaps use a shelf to display his writing choices, with the pencils in one cup and markers in another, or keep all the materials in a box or pencil case that slides easily under the couch. If you can, set up a child-sized table and chair for him to work at, or make it easy for him to access a work space.
2. Teach your child the proper way to hold a writing utensil. Most likely, when your child first learned to scribble, he held the crayon or marker with his whole fist. That was fine when he was a toddler, as his fine motor skills weren’t ready for the typical tripod grip (i.e. holding the pencil with thumb and forefinger, resting on the middle finger). However, it is important for him to start learning how to hold his pencil correctly now that his fine motor skills and muscles are more developed. Check out Mama OT’s site for some excellent tips and tricks to help your child if he’s struggling with using a proper grip.
3. Create a journal for your child. If your child isn’t interested in doing writing practice on his own, create a journal for him to use every day. Explain how this is a way to record something special that happened that day, whatever he likes. You can use a bound notebook or loose sheets that you place in a three-ring binder. Let him start by creating a daily picture, and then as his motor skills improve, help him add text. A great way to start is by having him dictate to you while you write the words with a highlighter. Then, let him trace the words, so that he can practice forming all of the letters. As he improves, have him write the words on his own, with or without your spelling help!

(Playful Bee is launching our new DIY Preschool from Birth program! Click here to enroll.)

Developmental Milestones:

Has your baby achieved the following Early Writing developmental milestones yet? If yes, check off all the skill(s) he has already mastered to date using Playful Bee’s developmental milestones tracker. It’s absolutely FREE and easy to use, just click HERE!

• Starts to copy some capital letters.
• Use writing materials, such as crayons, pencils, and markers for his scribbles.
• Drawing become more representational and recognizable.

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Playful Bee

Education Team at Playful Bee

Playful Bee is an e-Preschool that delivers inquiry-based preschool learning from the classroom to your home. Our preschool curriculum was created by our talented team of rock star teachers. With years of hands-on preschool and Kindergarten teaching experience, they've developed a high-quality preschool experience that is convenient-to-use and easy-to-teach by you, grandparents, or your nanny at home.

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