Where Are the Worksheets?
Learning to write requires many things that are not always obvious at first glance.
Learning to write requires children to:
Have solid core muscles in the body for sitting or standing
Control their bodies to they can control the fine movements required for writing
Have hand strength and fine motor control
Cross the midline
Understand that marks on paper are a form of communication
That particular marks have specific meanings
Before children can write, they need the core body stability to be able to sit and stand easily so they can also control the fine motor movements. We need to build this strength from the inside out - build the core muscles in the trunk, then big muscles in the legs and arms. For young children, this comes from play - riding bikes, climbing on the playground, running, dancing, and jumping.
When children have lots of free, open play, they also learn to control their bodies. They can learn how to use their bodies, how to hold control of their bodies, and how to manage their own needs.
Climbing, using play dough, using droppers, and many other fine motor skills help build the fine motor muscles necessary for writing. Before a child can hold a pencil to write, they need the hand strength to hold the pencil.
Crossing the midline is the ability to cross an arm or leg to the other side of your body to accomplish a task. The ability to cross the midline begins in infancy and isn’t mastered until 8 or 9 years old. Dancing, painting on an easel, climbing, and lots of free movement help children master this skill so they are ready to write.
Before we can write, we have to know that the marks on the page have meaning. Reading with children, inviting children to examine books independently, modeling writing, and discussing pictures or photographs with children are all ways to help children understand that these weird squiggles on paper are a form of communication, and that each mark has a specific meaning.
Worksheets in preschool are unnecessary and in many cases unhelpful. At Fremont Parents’ Nursery School, we build the foundation first so they are ready to tackle whatever comes their way.
Before children can hold a pencil, they must build a foundation from the inside out. They need core stability to sit still, which comes from play like climbing.
Look at the children's hands. They are using eye-droppers and popsicle sticks. That is building the exact pincer grasp and hand muscles they need to hold and control a pencil later on.
Teacher Crystal leads a collaborative story-time with a small group of children during snack time, demonstrating the co-op's focus on building connection, concentration, and a love of literacy.