Four Pre-Writing Resources We Recommend
Encouraging early literacy in the younger years is important and often really easy to do. But it can seem daunting for parents who don’t know where to start.
Pre-writing skills are the lines, triangles, circles, and other strokes kids need to master BEFORE learning how to print the alphabet. There are so many fun and meaningful ways to encourage these skills through tactile motor play. A personal favorite at Kid Lab is working with salt trays. A child can trace the letters with their index finger in the salt, then smooth it out to “erase” and start all over.
The salt tray concept can be re-created so many ways. Do it during snack time with applesauce, chocolate pudding, or hummus! Or fill a whole bin with sprinkles, dried beans, or pebbles. We also like working with paintbrushes (more like grasping a pencil), water, and a chalkboard. A parent can first write out a letter or word, then have the child use the paintbrush to erase it. It’s satisfying to see the letter (or doodle?) begin to disappear as it dries.
Below are a few more of our favorite pre-writing resources from the Kid Lab team. What we especially love about these is that they're all multi-sensory, so you know your kids will have fun while developing their fine motor skills.
Montessori Letter Work Board Book, $8
The great thing about this book is the sensory connection—the book replicates sandpaper letters on each page, with directional arrows to indicate the correct way to write each letter.
Plan Toys letter match alphabet cards, $36
You can use these alphabet cards in several ways. Flip the cards face down and quiz each other. Hide the letters in a mystery bag and pull them out to put them with their matching cards. Or sing the ABC song while matching the letter to the cards.
Melissa and Doug see and spell cards, $18 full set
If you want a game of spelling by doing puzzles, this is a fabulous option. It’s a great way to get creative with letter recognition.
Pre-writing tools don't have to be expensive! To set up this activity, write the letters of the alphabet on wooden clothespins—lowercase on one side and uppercase on the other. Match the lettered pins to ABC flashcards (we got ours from the dollar store). Squeezing the end of the pin and getting it on the card is a great way for small hands to build fine motor skills.
There are many more great pre-writing tools and resources out there, but these are some of our favorites. If you've had success with other pre-writing activities, please let us know about them in the comments!