(Excerpts from )
PREWRITING
By Amy Wagenfeld, Ph. D, OTR/L, Triplet Mom
Originally printed in March 2003

Prewriting is, at it seems, the foundational glue that comprises what will later become 
handwriting: manuscript and cursive letter formation, and writing numbers.

Good prewriting skills will help to make the transition to writing easier and more 
pleasurable for a child.  When you think about it, the whole sequence of prewriting 
actually starts before a child holds a pencil and begins to make those first random 
scribbles.  When children discover their hands, begin to grasp and shake rattles, learn to 
feed themselves, and stack blocks, they are moving towards prewriting, in that they are 
learning to use their hands in a functional way.

With that quick historical perspective, let's jump right into prewriting.  Experimenting 
with paintbrushes, crayons, markers, chalk, and pencils is what we might think of as 
prewriting, and it is.  But wait; there is more, because before they hold writing 
implements, children (and I am talking about 3-years plus) need to have many 
experiences that allow them to grasp all kinds of differently shaped and weighted objects.  
Encouraging children to use a toy hammer to pound golf tees into Styrofoam is a 
wonderful way to facilitate a very primitive early writing grasp.  Having children pick up 
small objects like cheerios, dried beans, buttons (I must include a cautionary, do not do 
these activities if there is any risk of your children putting these or other like objects into 
their mouths), and or pegs with the tips of their thumb and index finger also helps to 
encourage what will later be a mature pencil grasp.  These activities, and other similar 
fine motor activities are equally if not more important than giving your 3 to 5-year old 
child crayons or markers.  Think foundational skills; think good hand development really 
has to precede writing letters and words.  I am certainly not saying that you should ban or 
forbid drawing or painting, but make other fine motor toys available too.  I also think that 
attempting formal handwriting instruction with a 3-year old is not necessary because they 
are not developmentally ready.  Learning to write stems from having mastered some 
basic writing forms like circles, vertical, horizontal, intersecting, and diagonal lines.  
Watch your 3 to 4-year old sometime and see if their painted or drawn masterpieces 
contain all of these elements, an indicator that the foundation is being created to learn to 
write, which, for the most part, begins at about 5 to 6-years.

I think that if I had to sum this whole column up in a few words, I would say don't forget 
the foundational skills; they are what sets the stage for getting ready to write letters, 
words, and numbers.