Kids reading and writing with fun

As infants steadily grow they get attracted to various writing materials which adults utilize. They generally hold these materials the way they like and scribble around on surfaces. This is a clear sign of writing readiness in kids.  

At this stage, parents ideally should start grooming them for pre writing skills. Motivating them by providing them colourful writing materials and rendering a little time to help them write appropriately is a fantastic start to enhance this skill. 

Once the budding learner is capable of drawing patterns and imitating lines and curves, we can say that he is now ready to start writing. Age appropriate writing skills have to be taught very systematically and methodologically. A great contribution in developing this skill is rendered by the curriculum which is followed at Preschools. 

Early writing skills play a very important role in the development of a child. Early writing skill is an indicator of fine motor skills, language, memory and concentration. He starts with scribbling but now he has started forming letters. At this point, a toddler is called an emergent writer. Along with a writer, a toddler also has to be groomed for developing reading skills.  

As an infant, a child reaches out to picture books and responds to pictures or colours he likes. He eventually learns how to hold a book the right way and turn the pages. But now, as he becomes an emergent writer, he learns the art of recognising letters, associating them with pictures and reciting them aloud with sound. So his reading skills also develop along with early writing skills. 

At this stage, parents and teachers play a dual role in developing early learning skills and reading skills. The most important part to remember is that Early literacy is a daily process. it happens slowly with time and practice.  

At school, activities are designed to enhance this skill. Teachers encourage students to write and read through playful activities, through worksheets, teaching aids and group learning. An effective curriculum framework allows the child to learn easily and reciprocate better. He tries to replicate the same at home. 

Parents need to catch hold of those activities which the teacher often practices at school. They can offer an extension to these activities by doing them at home too.  Encourage your child to talk about school and learning, and try to gauge how they feel about writing and reading. Provide them with picture books and ask them questions. This will tell us how they interpret things. It brings out their imagination and grooms their interpretative skills.  Also read along story books by pointing out to words and sentences. This allows them to have a better recognition of letters and words and they also try to understand the meaning of simple words. Additionally, they try to understand the link between the lines which develops their logical reasoning power.  

Reading and Writing both go hand in hand right from the initial stage. It occupies a very important place in the preschool curriculum. The curriculum at school needs to cater to the needs of toddlers individually as the pace of learning is different for all. Parents need to be aware of the various ways preschools inculcate this skills. This skill needs to be inculcated very creatively and in a fun filled manner to avoid boredom, monotony and dislike.  

These formative years are the basis for developing a liking towards reading and writing and hence effort needs to be made so that toddlers enjoy reading and writing and aspire to become renowned writers.