One of the toughest parts of homeschooling a preschooler is teaching them how to write. I've tutored a couple of kids before but I haven't really had any experience with teaching from scratch. I was not really sure how or where I should start with teaching my daughter to write. But there were a few things I tried which helped a lot in our writing journey.
The Grip
I was not really aware of how her early toys could help with her learning how to write. All I knew is that I gave her toys that enhances her grip and her fine motor skills. So as early as when she learns how to grasp things, her training for writing has actually started already.
Wall "Paintings"
We bought jumbo crayons that she can easily hold and draw with. Along with it are bond papers she can write with. We also have used milk boxes at her disposal. But kids have this nasty habit of giving adults more work to do so instead of using the papers to write on, she used the walls for her artworks. That was in our previous apartment. When we moved to another apartment, I made sure that I will not experience the same difficulties in cleaning so I put up an Art and Learning wall for her.
The start of the Serious Writing Journey
Writing through broken lines
I may be a bit too excited but at the start of our homeschooling journey, I went ahead and bought pad papers used by preschoolers. Thinking that she would follow the broken lines, that when she writes, it should start from the blue line, go across the red, then end at the blue line. Obviously, I was really wrong. The pad papers became her doodle material.
So I went back to the bond papers. I still drew broken lines of straight lines, diagonal lines, curves. I was still assuming she will follow the lines. She would at first, but after a few strokes of near perfectly followed broken lines, she would go her own way and start drawing and doodling. Attention span adds to the challenge actually.
Whiteboard markers on plastic sheets with writing exercises in them
I found The Relaxed Homeschool website where I found printables of writing exercises. I received them through emails and had them printed right away. We had a good run with those printables. She was able to write a couple of letters until she got tired of routine. I find out my child does not like repetition. Oh well, like mother, like daughter I guess. At least she has now learned how to properly hold a pen.
I even bought a personalized workbook for her where her full name is printed. Just so she can practice writing. But of course, she only wrote up to the 2ndline.
All things bright and beautiful
Last May and June, we completely stopped our writing exercises. She learned how to write her nickname on her own. After all, that's only three letters long. Just last week, I found another way to jumpstart her letter writing. What other way to attract a toddler's attention but bright and colorful writing exercises.
I bought neon colored highlighters and wrote letters - not using broken lines - that she can trace. Boy! I did not expect that would work! Well, she also got tired easily but at least she was able to work on three pages. Not three lines, three pages!
Don't push it
To make sure that the kid enjoys writing, I learned not to push her into our study time. We still are using playtime centered studying style. She has learned how to count, do some addition, and subtraction because of our games. She loves playing cashier - perfect for math, not too helpful with writing. I just insert our writing activities every now and then. Sometimes she bites the bait, sometimes she wants to stick with the games.
We're still a long way to go with our writing journey but I think we're making a lot of progress. We still need a lot of work, but I'm happy with how she is moving up with our homeschooling journey.
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Connect with her through her Facebook Page: The Leftie Crocheter and on Instagram. Feel free to subscribe to her Youtube Channel: The Leftie Crocheter
Good thing she enjoys writing exercises! A lot of kids today are lazy to write, being exposed to much to gadgets and want everything typed.
She only holds a phone once or twice a week. Only to play with learning games. I am by her side when she does, just so I can see what she's seeing too.
Looks like you're making it as fun as possible. She'll be writing novels in no time. ;)
⋆ ᴀ ʜɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ ғᴏʀ sᴏᴜᴛʜᴇᴀsᴛ ᴀsɪᴀɴ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ
⋆ ғᴏᴏᴅ, ᴛʀᴀᴠᴇʟ, ᴘʜᴏᴛᴏɢʀᴀᴘʜʏ, ᴘᴏʟɪᴛɪᴄs, ᴀʀᴛ, ᴍᴏᴠɪᴇ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡs & ᴍᴏʀᴇ
⋆ sᴜʙsᴄʀɪʙᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴀsᴇᴀɴ ʜɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ ʜᴇʀᴇ
⋆ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ᴏᴜʀ ᴀsᴇᴀɴ ʜɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ ᴠᴏᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʀᴀɪʟ
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My girls learnt to read and write before we started homeschooling and I often wondered how I might have approached it if we'd home educated from the start. I've featured your post in the @HomeEdders weekly curation.
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This is a very good about homeschooling.
I love reading books that make me learn faster then school.😊
I know how to write the words but in my writing school helped.
I'm cross posting this article in the Kidz Community and you are on the Kidz Community Contest week 1
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