Pre-writing skills

In order for children to become successful writers, children need lots of opportunities to develop their motor skills. Motor skills are motions carried out when the brain, nervous system and muscles work together. Children need to build their fine motor skills. Children's muscles need to be developed in the following order for them to become successful writers. 

1.Shoulder muscles- examples of activities we carry out in nursery are: crawling, den building, parachute games, gardening (digging), climbing, self dressing, pain brush with bucket of water making large marks outside, drumming etc. 

2.Elbow muscles- examples of activities we carry out in nursery are: Baking, painting, bat and ball, throwing, chalking, shaking instruments, play dough (rolling), zipping up coats, stirring (baking), cars on tracks, small world activities etc. 

3. Wrist Muscles- examples of activities we carry out in nursery are: hand washing, cutting up, turning pages in books, mark making, scooping sand, pouring water, self dressing (socks and shoes) dressing dolls, making play dough. 

4.Finger muscles- examples of activities we carry out in nursery are: cutting, threading beads, fingers puppets, fastening buttons, jigsaws, keyboard typing etc

To help your children to become successful writers provide them with activities to develop these muscles so when they start primary school they are ready to learn to write.