Did you know that holding a pen and writing letters is linked to hand development in children not necessarily age or brain?
Play based learning is the best way for young children to develop their fine motor skills as the foundations for writing. Playdoh, building blocks, threading and finger painting are how children develop control and strength in their hands. Hand-eye co-ordination is also a major factor and is present in all those activities.
Learning to hold a pen is a process that moves through four stages, all of these are closely linked to hand development in children.
All children go at their own pace as their hands develop and as cartilage becomes bone. They also need to develop upper and core body strength in addition to fine motor skills.
The below x-ray shows a 7 years old’s hand compared to a pre-schoolers. You can clearly see where the bones are yet to meet. This accounts for the fact that some young children really struggle to control a pen well enough to start their letters.
Nurturing the whole body and not focusing in on the tool, the pen or pencil, allows children to grow into their capabilities. There really is no urgent need to introduce pen/pencils and toys that mimic them in a toddler environment. Once a child enters the pre-school rooms they will be introduced to more complex forms of mark-making. In the meantime, we concentrate on developing all the foundational elements to ensure that when the child is ready, they are able to enjoy and thrive as they learn to write.
For more on how writing and reading starts with play, check this out.