Mark Making and Writing in the Early Years
We create many exciting opportunities to make writing purposeful in Reception class. Outside, the children might write instructions for their obstacle course, warning signs for a slippery patch of ice, create a treasure hunt list or make Rangoli patterns to decorate the floor. They design their own tracks for games, draw round their shadows, write target numbers on the wall or create their own artwork on a tree.
Inside, children find a purpose for writing in all areas of the Learning Lab. Children write their own instructions for how to wash the dishes properly, a recipe for gingerbread men, their own number tracks, a book about Autumn, a Bedtime Story book and letters to Goldilocks or the Big Bad Wolf. They love to play ‘teacher’, writing on the whiteboard or taking the register; they write their own maps and lists, menus and letters.
Dough disco and other fine motor activities help children develop the skills they need for coordination and control. They make marks in lots of different ways and when they are ready, learn how to hold a pencil and form letter shapes using the correct sequence of movements. As they gain confidence with their independent writing, children are taught how to write short phrases and sentences, using finger spaces between words and using the features of different text types such as writing a list, a letter or a story.
