03.11.08
Pre-writing and Pre-reading Activities for the Whole Body
Children develop from the “inside out”, meaning that they have control over their midsection before their arms and legs; their arms before their fingers, their legs before their toes, etc. This is why a child rolls over before she walks and why she bats at toys before she picks up small objects. A keen observer will note that children need to develop arm strength and skills before mastering holding a pencil to write. However, there are ways to help develop a child’s prewriting skills in anticipation of later writing. Many of these involve tactile methods that help most children, not only kinesthetic learners. Remember that your child does not have to write the letter in order to learn it. Work with your child’s development to teach her. The most important thing is to keep it fun and tailored to the child’s interests and manner of learning.
- Using painter’s or masking tape (or sidewalk chalk outside), “write” a large (3 - 4 foot) letter (or number) on the floor for your child to walk on. Practice walking in the manner in which she will write the letter later. (For instance, for an “i“: Start at the top, walk down the stick to the end. Step off, walk back to the dot and hop on it once to “dot the i”. OR For an “s“: Start at the top and stay on the squiggly line as you walk to the end and step off.) Add fun to this: 1. make the letter sound or say the letter name as you walk on the letter, 2. spell out your child’s name, 3. play a version of Twister where you call out a letter for the child(ren) to run to, 4. leave the letter on the floor and refer to it when your child wants to watch a favorite show, etc. “Before we watch t.v., let’s walk the letter and make its sound.”
- Use sidewalk chalk to draw a really large letter or number on the driveway and have your child ride her bike or skate on the letter path. “Closed” letters like O, Q, D, B and numbers like 8 and 0 are fun with this.
- Near a beach? Use your feet to draw the letter or number as big as yourself in the sand. Watch the water fill up the letter river and slowly wash away.
- Use your pointer finger to draw the letter or number in the air, in the dirt outside, or “on a cloud”.
- Form the letter or number using your whole body in front of a mirror or join together with a friend to create the letter. Take a picture to outline later with your finger.
- Have old license plates? Trace the letters on your car’s license plate with your finger while you say the letter name or sound.
- Find letters in signs around town. Take pictures of them with a digital camera. Put the pictures of the letters in ABC order later.
- Cut out letters from magazines and newspapers. Aim for headlines instead of the tiny article print. Make an ABC book and glue letters on appropriate pages.
- Pour some salt, sugar or corn meal onto a baking sheet and write the letter in it. Pudding, yogurt, whipped cream, and applesauce are fun, non-toxic alternatives. Older children (that know not to eat it) can also enjoy shaving cream and fingerpaint as a medium.
- Create the letter or number out of play dough or better yet, bread dough to bake and eat!
- As your child begins to develop a knowledge of letters or numbers, “draw” one on her back (or on her hand with her eyes shut) with your finger to see if she can guess what letter it is. Have her draw one for you to guess.
Helping your child develop an awareness of letters and sounds builds the background for future reading. Make it fun so that reading becomes an enjoyable activity.
