With the rise of an emphasis on standardized testing in elementary schools, it’s no surprise that parents and teachers are feeling the pressure to make sure that children are learning to read and write at a very young age. However, is teaching 3 and 4-year-olds how to write letters and memorize sight words really going to benefit these children over time? Let’s explore the right approach to writing including the visual-motor components as well as hand strength and dexterity.
Writing letters seems like a simple task, right? You just copy a few lines, and BOOM, there’s your letter. Well, it’s actually not that simple. There are several underlying skills that you must have in order to make this process of writing letters go smoothly.
This can be a hard concept to understand, so let’s break it down even further. First, there’s vision – your eyes’ ability to see. When we think of vision, we think of ophthalmologists determining if you have 20/20 vision or not, and prescribing glasses or contacts to assist if you have visual deficits. Then there’s visual perception. Visual perception is not what your eyes see, but rather, your brain’s interpretation of what your eyes see. In turn, visual-motor skills are your ability to see something, process what you’re seeing, and give a response. Visual-motor skills are ultimately what enable you to copy letters and words. BUT, these skills take a while to develop. At 3 and 4 years old, our brains are not developed enough for this complex task. Instead of focusing on drawing letters, here are a few other activities that will help develop visual motor skills:
Complete puzzles together
Build with blocks
When you’re ready to put pencil to paper, practice with your child on copying different lines and shapes. Though it seems rudimentary, it is essential and will help your child in the long run! A quick Internet search of prewriting strokes will give you a good idea of age-appropriate pre-handwriting strokes. For example, at 2 years, a good goal would be to copy a vertical line; at 3 years, a circle; at 4 years, a square.
Now, let’s talk about the other main component of handwriting: hand strength and dexterity. Again, these skills may sound simple and unimportant, but they play a huge role in success with handwriting down the road. Often kids with good visual perception skills may be able to copy letters, but when it comes time for them to write paragraphs in first and second grade, they become fatigued and handwriting becomes sloppy and illegible. In the point and click, drag and drop, screen time world that we live in, it’s no wonder that these skills are being overlooked. Instead of coloring on paper, kids are able to color on a tablet with their fingers, which does not require the grasp of a crayon or pressure you need to color on paper. It’s much more effortless. Screen time use is at an all-time high, and with the busy lives we live, cleaning up messes from an art project gone rogue is the last thing we want on our plates. But, developing hand strength and dexterity early on will help set up for the right approach to writing. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Did you know we can start working on these pre-handwriting/ strength and dexterity skills as early as infancy? Here are a few ways we can do this:
If your child is older, and writing seems daunting to them—that’s okay! We still have to address other things before actually putting pencil to paper. Here are some ideas for developing the essential hand strength and dexterity skills needed for success in school. Some of them even use pencil and paper without having to write anything!
There are many other ways to help develop fine motor skills that are essential for future handwriting success. This is not an extensive list, but it is a starting point if you are looking to develop visual motor skills, strength, and dexterity. Pinterest has great ideas to work towards these skills as well. However, if you are concerned with your child’s handwriting skills or fine motor development, it is always a good idea to have them screened or evaluated by a pediatric therapist to help determine if intervention would benefit your child.
To find a Beyond Therapy for Kids location near you, visit our website.
Amanda Watkins, MOTR/L attended Mississippi State University for undergrad and went on to get her Masters of Occupational Therapy degree at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, graduating in 2017. She has a passion for providing OT services to children of all ages while supporting their families through education as they navigate the therapy world. Amanda is a native of Madison, MS, and currently lives there with her husband, 2 daughters, and 4 dogs.
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