Encouraging children to learn to write.

When can we start to teach our children to write?

Its never too soon!         

A soon as a baby can focus, they are attracted by colour, and shapes,
so, from about the age of 4-5 month, and sometimes even before this,
it stimulates the child to put different colours and shapes in the childs field of vision.
and taking books with highly coloured pages, read gently to the baby while keeping the book so they can clearly see the colour.

This early stimulation and closeness helps baby to enjoy stories and colour from an early age.
and also helps to establish a good learning relationship between you.
As a parent you are possibly the best teacher your child can have to instil the fun of learning into your child.

As your child grows, keep plenty of coloured pencils and paper close by, wide pencils for a childs use, and some for you.
From as soon as baby can sit unaided.. draw simple patterns slowly, so they can see, and as they get bigger, allow they hold a pencil,
and you will be amazed at how they copy!

Lines and circles are good because they form the basis of almost every letter.
keep up the story telling too.. and encourage the child, even if they only make sounds
to tell you stories too, and as they get older, encourage to 'write' the stories (scribble is writing to a small child)

Also from an early age.. to acquaint your child to the alphabet, you can say a rhyme as you work, or just for fun to them.
It is simple, and fun, and can be changed as you go.

rhyme is thus

the name of the letter is A, the sound that it makes is ah ... a is for (apple) or any other A sounding word
same for B, C, D etc..

for X xray works better than xylophone.. because the sound is sharper.
this way to play, not only teaches letters and sounds, but is an introduction to phonetics too.

As your child gets older, and learns to write a few words, invite them to help you write shopping lists, dreams, wish lists.
In fact anything that will keep them writing.

Games, encouragement, and stimulation from as early as possible, will give your child the best possible start in life,
and you never know, you could be helping a future novellist
or playwrite...
Pen to paper will always be a needed skill.
A skill learned young stays for life!