Preschoolers start “writing” by scribbling and drawing letter-like shapes in a large circular motion. Often, a young child’s first letters are drawn by accident and then identified by the child or parent. Kids at this age will form letters to represent written language for meaningful words like their names or phrases such as “I love you.”
Preschoolers who see older kids or adults write begin to see that writing has a purpose and they will want to try it. Provide lots of writing materials — paper, pens, pencils, crayons, markers, and drawing tablets.
Select the writing sample links at left to view real examples of pre-K writing at different skill levels.
Featured video
Dr. Jane Hansen, professor emerita in the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, talks about the importance of writing for very young children.
Learn more about writing in preschool
Preschool and Child Care
How Do I Write…? Scaffolding Preschoolers’ Early Writing Skills
Preschool and Child Care
