Pen skills in pre-schoolers

[RachA]

All this talk of children and colouring etc got me thinking about something a friend said to me a couple of months ago.

Her background: she is an older lady who has taught primary school children all of her life and is still involved.

She was saying to me that teaching a children to actually write before around 6 years old is actually detrimental. Apparently the motor skills in the hands which are needed to write don't actually develop until a child is around 6 and therefore by forcing our children to write before then can cause problems with their motor skills later on in life.

Obviously i don't mean that we shouldn't encourage them to pick up a pencil and mark a piece of paper - that's something that most children will automatically do prior to going to school.

Any thought?

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

hmmm thats strange as I was told that at pre school they now encourage kids to write at least their name so that in primary 1 its not so daunting. Mia started school when she was 4 in the Aug and would turn 5 in the Jan and she could write her name Mia Montgomery and also the numbers 1 to 10 but she loves all that stuff so its hard to not get her to sit and write if that makes sense xx

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

Also out youngest daughter who is 10 months has CP in her arms and they encourage things like this to get her motorskills working better.

 

[letia659]

its kinda hard not to teach them to write when they start school at around age 4 now sometimes earlier than that I have heard you shouldnt be able to tell if they are right or left handed until they are around 4 or older but Im 90% sure Zander is left handed because he uses his fork/spoon left handed and now that he is coloring he uses his left hand but who knows sorry but to me 6 yrs sounds really late to learn to write I have a 7 yr old that has been writing words since he was 4 and he was delayed in alot of things so if he had been at the normal level Id think he would have been writing earlier than that

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

its kinda hard not to teach them to write when they start school at around age 4 now sometimes earlier than that I have heard you shouldnt be able to tell if they are right or left handed until they are around 4 or older but Im 90% sure Zander is left handed because he uses his fork/spoon left handed and now that he is coloring he uses his left hand but who knows sorry but to me 6 yrs sounds really late to learn to write I have a 7 yr old that has been writing words since he was 4 and he was delayed in alot of things so if he had been at the normal level Id think he would have been writing earlier than that

yeah I think thats it easier on them to learn a little before they start school then when they start they wont have to catch up, if Mia had to catch up of course it wouldnt bother us but she is a little stress head lol and having to catch up would worry her xx

 

[RachA]

They do encourage it in pre-school but i'm not sure how much the pre-school teachers actually agree with it - i know that at my sons pre-school they don't agree with having to teach the 2 1/2 year olds how to write but in order for them to pass their checks they have to been seen to be doing it.

I have family that live abroad and they don't start school until they are 7. While they can pretty much read when they start they can't always write. Those that can't write when they start at 7 pick it up a lot quicker then it took the ones that started earlier

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

They do encourage it in pre-school but i'm not sure how much the pre-school teachers actually agree with it - i know that at my sons pre-school they don't agree with having to teach the 2 1/2 year olds how to write but in order for them to pass their checks they have to been seen to be doing it.

I have family that live abroad and they don't start school until they are 7. While they can pretty much read when they start they can't always write. Those that can't write when they start at 7 pick it up a lot quicker then it took the ones that started earlier

yeah we are the same Peters family some live in Germany some in spain but I find the picking it up quicker diff with his cousins he has 2 at age 8 and 1 9 and they arent doing half the things Mia was doing at 6, who knows its all diff, im just glad Mia can write as we know the struggle we are going to have with Ellie having cerebal palsy xx

 

[Blah11]

I disagree. All children are differently and amelies gross and fine motor skills have always been great. She can trace around letter shapes and theyre learning to write their own names at nursery and she signs her pictures with her 'name' (although it looks more like hyroglyphics just now haha)

 

[OmarsMum]

I also disagree. Omar's fine motor skills are great although they were delayed when he was a baby. He has perfect control when he uses a pen. He can write 3 letters, & draw some shapes & he's not 2 yrs yet. I don't hold his hand to show him how to write, he loves letters & numbers & he sits for hours trying to write them. He also traces letters with his finger on the iPad.

The school I'm looking for Omar doesn't encourage writing before the age of 6. I will visit the school soon to get more info about their methods with pre-schoolers.

 

[RachA]

There is a difference though between encouraging those children who do actually have those motor skills and forcing children to whom it doesn't come naturally to write.

When my 4 year old started playschool at 2yrs 5mths the last thing he wanted was to sit at the table and use pens etc. However my nearly 2 yr old loves holding pens and pencils. Obviously my youngest has the motor skills but for my son they are something that he needs to develop in his own time rather than forcing the issue.

 

[OmarsMum]

There is a difference though between encouraging those children who do actually have those motor skills and forcing children to whom it doesn't come naturally to write.

When my 4 year old started playschool at 2yrs 5mths the last thing he wanted was to sit at the table and use pens etc. However my nearly 2 yr old loves holding pens and pencils. Obviously my youngest has the motor skills but for my son they are something that he needs to develop in his own time rather than forcing the issue.

Agree with this. they are different, & i think it's a good idea to wait until they'r older to encourage them to use a pen & write if they'r not interested.

This is one of the reasons why I like this school as they dont have any structured learning before the age of 6. pre-schoolers there get some crayons & papers to scribble but they dont encourage them to use a pen properly or start writing or tracing.

 

[JakesMummy]

It's quite interesting. My niece and nephew were taught at school, I think niece was around 4..she was born in August so a younger pupil in her year - she now writes quite well. I don't know if it had anything to do with starting her later than, say 2?

My 2 year old won't sit still to do anything like tracing, colouring etc yet when I was drawing with chalk on his easel, he came up and copied me, and drew a circle. I have never taught him anything like that, yet. So I guess, he just wanted to do it or it came naturally. I don't think they do it at his preschool, but I know some schools here prefer a child to at least write their name.

 

[RachA]

There is a difference though between encouraging those children who do actually have those motor skills and forcing children to whom it doesn't come naturally to write.

When my 4 year old started playschool at 2yrs 5mths the last thing he wanted was to sit at the table and use pens etc. However my nearly 2 yr old loves holding pens and pencils. Obviously my youngest has the motor skills but for my son they are something that he needs to develop in his own time rather than forcing the issue.

Agree with this. they are different, & i think it's a good idea to wait until they'r older to encourage them to use a pen & write if they'r not interested.

This is one of the reasons why I like this school as they dont have any structured learning before the age of 6. pre-schoolers there get some crayons & papers to scribble but they dont encourage them to use a pen properly or start writing or tracing.

i don't think my original post came over right because that's what i was trying to say at the start

from what i've seen of my sons school they don't actually seem to do any structured learning in their first year either - i much prefer that way. They still pick things up even if all they think they are doing it playing

 

[JASMAK]

I disagree as well, in fact, I never really strongly encouraged my son to do much, as he wasn't interested in writing..so I just got him to do his name...never used sissors etc...and he was considered 'behind' in kindergarten. Oops. Teach your kids...it will be much easier on them later. I wouldn't force them, but even writing, crafts, and learning at least their names...will do wonders.

 

[Gingerspice]

From readng the other thread about that free school, then there does seem to be a theory about how children's hands are not suited to holding pencils 'the correct' way until they're older and so many schools do no force and teach children how to hold a pencil 'correctly'. They may well still get chldren to write, but they don't actually teach them and force a pencil to conform to the 'right way' with two fngers above, arched hand, thumb below, resting on 3rd finger etc. I am sure many children will adopt a similar hold naturally but for those that don't it doesnt get pushed by doing handwriting and pencil holding lessons until at least 6 or above.

 

[sabby52]

Havent read all the replies so if this has already been said then I apologise.

Writing is like everything else concerning children, some can do it early, some can not, plus there is a big difference between forcing a child to write and encouraging a child that wants and has the ability to. My son is 4 next month and he has been writing letters, numbers, his name ect.ect for almost a year now. He WANTS to do it and we encourage him gently.

I really dont understand the whole waiting until 6, children start primary school at 4-5 and one of the first things they usually learn in Primary school is to write and recognise their name

 

[hattiehippo]

I think some kids are ready to learn to write well before 6 and others, particularly some boys are not. I've taught 5 and 6 yr olds and for the ones not ready it is a hard slog when they would rather be running around. I'm not saying its always boys who are not ready but from my experience alot of boys are not ready to sit still and try to write at that age whereas more girls are.

Pencil grip is a huge issue in schools nowadays...lots of kids don't hold pencils in the traditional way and by 7 or 8 its really hard to change how they hold them. I wonder if that is being caused by kids being taught to write much younger and when their motor skills maybe aren't ready to hold the pencil properly?

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

I think that if you wait until they are ready to use these motorskills rather than helping then on a bit we could wait forever with some kids lol like Ellie, slightly different as she ahs CP in her arms (still waiting to get cast of to see if she also has it in her legs) and if we werent to encourage Ellie to do things with her hands trust me she would still be lying with them at her sides at 10 month, so when she goes to school I will encourage her to write, infact I will encourage it before she starts as she will already be behind all the other kids in the class, after doing a year and a half course at college as I wanted to be a physiotherapist (stopped to become a mum to mia) i understand how simple parts of the body work and understand why it is important to encourage her on xx

 

[smelly07]

I work in a pre-school and we do not encouraged writing or any sort of 'formal learning'
the children learn through play only... everything is 'free choice'.

Activities such as playdough, sand and water play, using a glue stick, painting, threading, cutting, colouring etc etc are all early basics in practising fine motor skills and children are learning the skills as such without them even realising.

And the first year of school is pretty much the same they learn phonics but writing isnt pushed yes recognising and writing their name is pretty much it until they go up into year one. when they are 5 turning 6.... Again there is still a huge deal in learning through play and being out in the enviroment now more than sit down lessons.

personally i have never sat my girls down and done any formal learning with them either, i think like others have said if they want to then fine but shouldnt be forced or pushed into something they arent ready for x

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

I work in a pre-school and we do not encouraged writing or any sort of 'formal learning'
the children learn through play only... everything is 'free choice'.

Activities such as playdough, sand and water play, using a glue stick, painting, threading, cutting, colouring etc etc are all early basics in practising fine motor skills and children are learning the skills as such without them even realising.

And the first year of school is pretty much the same they learn phonics but writing isnt pushed yes recognising and writing their name is pretty much it until they go up into year one. when they are 5 turning 6.... Again there is still a huge deal in learning through play and being out in the enviroment now more than sit down lessons.

personally i have never sat my girls down and done any formal learning with them either, i think like others have said if they want to then fine but shouldnt be forced or pushed into something they arent ready for x

yes wit Mia we let her have the scooshy water bottles to spray on the pavements lol and other things like that. Is school primarys/years diff in England than Scotland