OT Corner: Prewriting
By Amy Wagenfeld, Ph.D, OTR/L
Originally printed in August, 2005

With the exception of last month, having spent the past few columns 
writing about OT services for preschool and school-aged children, 
and the in general nuts and bolts about the process, I hinted that 
handwriting issues seem to be one of the most common reason for referral 
for OT assessments.  Based on the frequency of handwriting-based concerns, 
I thought we would take a step back and talk about the development of 
prewriting skills and some fun ideas to support the process.

Prewriting is, as 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 and 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 developmental 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.  Using tongs and 
tweezers held in a "pencil grasp" position ready children to write.  
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 actually 
write letters and numbers 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 
for formal writing instruction is in place, which for most children 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.  Next month, writing!