ED327312
Encouraging Young Children's Writing. ERIC Digest.
ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education, 
Urbana, Ill. 
Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), 
Washington, DC. 
EDO-PS-91-1
1991
   Many educators and parents assume that young children
must progress through a sequence of clearly defined skill
areas to acquire listening, speaking, reading, and, finally,
writing facility. As a result, young children often are not
encouraged to write until they have learned how to read and
have mastered the mechanics of writing (grammar, capitalization, 
punctuation).
   Recent studies in emergent literacy--the early stages of
learning to write and read--have shown that young children
compose before they know much about the conventions of
writing and reading or have the skill to control the
formation of letters. As young children gradually realize
the usefulness of writing--even unconventional writing--they
are encouraged to develop related literacy skills.
          HIGH/SCOPE'S APPROACH TO EMERGENT LITERACY
   A developmental approach to literacy emphasizes the
gradual emergence of skills in all areas of language rather
than the end results of this process: formal skills in
speaking, reading, and writing. Such a developmental
approach is used by the High/Scope Educational Research
Foundation in Ypsilanti, Michigan. High/Scope curriculum
developers and teaching adults recognize that preschoolers
and kindergartners have plenty of ideas and enjoy composing
and reading their compositions.
   Children in High/Scope preschool and kindergarten
classrooms, centers, and homes often write and read in
unconventional forms (scribblings, drawings, letter-like
marks) in order to relate their thoughts and experiences.
Such attempts to communicate are not viewed as mistakes.
Instead, young children are encouraged to "write" without
worrying about the mechanics of writing. However, teachers
and parents don't adopt a hands-off or laissez-faire
approach to literacy development. Instead, they support the
naturalness of learning about reading and writing by
enriching the atmosphere in which children live and learn.
In such an enriched atmosphere, authentic reasons for
learning to write and read are readily apparent to children,
and they have opportunities to hear good literature and use
language in many forms to accomplish tasks.
   In High/Scope learning settings, children are given
numerous opportunities to observe purposeful writing. For
example, on the first day at the High/Scope Demonstration
Preschool, each child chooses an identification symbol that
is used to label his or her cubby, artwork, and other
belongings. Children's symbols are usually drawings of
shapes or familiar objects (for example, a circle, star, or
tree). Each child's symbol is displayed on an identification
sign that also includes the child's name and photo. Children
use their symbols daily.
   Teachers and other adults involve children in writing
messages, notes to parents, and lists of things to do.
Because the symbols and processes of writing are commonplace
in High/Scope early learning environments, children can
observe the relationship between spoken and written
language. Preschools, kindergartens, and day care homes or
centers have some type of "writing area" or "office center."
In a preschool or day care program, the writing area may
simply be an informal arrangement, such as a table with
writing implements and materials. In a kindergarten, it may
be a full-fledged activity area. Whatever the setting, the
place where children are encouraged to "write" should be
stocked with a variety of writing tools. Most important, it
should be a place where children feel free to write in their
own way.
   Children who respond in such a setting by saying "I can't
write" or "I don't know how," or who assume that an adult
will automatically write for them, will soon learn that the
adults believe that the children can write. Adults respond
warmly to all attempts children make to write, even when
these attempts result in the random scribbles, letter-like
marks, and drawings that children call writing. Adults ask
such open-ended questions as, "Tell me what you've written"
or "That's interesting . . . what about this part?" When
adults respond positively to all efforts at written
language, children learn that their decision to take a risk
with writing was worthwhile.
   Even casual observers of young children's writing will
see that they often combine conventional and unconventional
print. Some preschoolers, and many kindergartners, know how to 
write their names conventionally. However, most preschoolers 
are more comfortable with scribbling their messages or
attempting representational drawings than with trying to
write in conventional form. Occasionally, preschoolers will
move on to forming letter-like units or even a letter or two
from their names. At the beginning of the school year, some
kindergartners will be able to string nonphonetic letters
together in imitation of print. As the year progresses, some
will begin to invent the spelling of isolated words and
compile lists of words they know.
   It's important for adults to recognize that such
experimentation at the preschool and kindergarten levels
allows children to use comfortable, nonconventional forms of
writing to express complex thoughts. By encouraging children
to write in their own way, adults assure that the
composition process as a whole does not stand or fall on
children's knowledge of, or skill in, conventional writing.
UNDERSTANDING THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN DRAWING, WRITING, 
AND READING
   When adults use the teaching techniques of the emergent
literacy approach, they understand the relationships between
children's drawing, writing, and reading. They realize that
some children may consider their drawings to be actual
writing. If asked to "read" their text, these children will
respond with a clear message or story. Older children may
recognize that drawing is an illustrative form, but still
continue to use it as writing.
   It is important to resist the pressure to introduce skill
and drill practice in children's early years. Forcing young
children to practice writing out-of-context words they do
not understand and cannot read; suggesting that they print
letters so that they fit in lined spaces; insisting that
words always be spelled conventionally; and overemphasizing
practice with discrete letter and sound relationships will
not make children become better writers and readers. In
fact, such demands may make it less likely that children
will develop a pleasurable association between reading and
writing.
          SUPPORTING CHILDREN'S WRITING
   The process of learning to write begins in infancy. The
positive oral and written language experiences children have
at home, day care, preschool, and kindergarten contribute to
the developing capacity to communicate in writing.
   Adults in day care settings and preschools can promote
the development of writing skills by offering numerous
informal opportunities for children to observe, explore, and
experiment with writing. When children observe that adults
are writing in order to accomplish real tasks, they learn
the value and function of writing. Caregivers can involve
the children in writing brief notes to parents or listing
the foods that are to be purchased for the next day's snack
time. It's a good idea to have a box of writing tools and
materials available for children to use when they want to
write their own way. The materials can be arranged on a
special table set aside for this purpose.    Although
informal opportunities to write should continue at the
kindergarten level, it's also appropriate for adults to
begin to provide slightly more formal and organized
opportunities. For example, adults can set aside a special
time when children are asked to work in the "office center."
The office center can also be available as an option for
children at work time. In the office center, children should
easily find everything they need to write names, design
signs, send notes, record telephone numbers, or write stories.
   Although many kindergartners can recognize some letters,
words, and phrases, they may revert to drawing or scribbling
when encouraged to write a story. Adults should accept this
as a valuable attempt at writing and avoid prodding children
to write only in words.    
   In the course of the year, some kindergartners will experiment 
with phonetic spelling and begin to move closer to conventional 
forms. Teachers should treat such developments as part of the 
natural process of emerging literacy. Attempts to use emerging 
skills should be warmly supported, not pushed or scrutinized for 
errors. The developmental approach emphasizes learning experiences 
that are meaningful to children, and not drill and practice of
isolated skills.
   This digest was adapted from the article "Right! Young
Children Can Write!" by Jane Maehr, which appeared in
EXTENSIONS: NEWSLETTER OF THE HIGH/SCOPE CURRICULUM, Vol. 4,
No. 3 (November/December 1989): 1-4.
          FOR MORE INFORMATION
   Hiebert, E.H. "The Role of Literacy Experiences in Early
Childhood Programs." The Elementary School Journal
(November, 1988).
   Kontos, S. "What Preschool Children Know About Reading
and How They Learn It." Young Children (November, 1986).
   Maehr, Jane. "Right! Young Children Can Write!"
Extensions: Newsletter of the HIGH/SCOPE Curriculum 4
(November/December 1989): 1-4.    
   Schickedanz, J.A. More Than the ABCs: The Early Stages of 
Reading and Writing. Washington, DC: NAEYC, 1986.
   Strickland, D.S., and Morrow, L.M. (Eds.). (1989).
Emerging Literacy: Young Children Learn To Read and Write.
Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
   Teale, W.H. "Writing in the Early Childhood Classroom."
Reading Today (October/November, 1988).
   Teale, W.H., & Sulzby, E. (Eds.). Emergent Literacy:
Writing and Reading. Norwood, NJ: Ablex, 1986.
   Temple, C., Nathan, R., Burris, N., and Temple, F. The
Beginnings of Writing (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and
Bacon, Inc., 1988.    
   Wells, M. "The Roots of Literacy." Psychology Today 
(June, 1988).    
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   This publication was prepared with funding from the
Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S.
Department of Education, under OERI contract no. RI88062012.
The opinions expressed in this report do not necessarily
reflect the positions or policies of OERI or the Department
of Education.
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