Children in the pre-primary years begin the path to becoming a writer by starting with scribbling. Very young preschoolers typically lack the hand coordination to form what adults and older students perceive to be actual letters or symbols. Instead, the young preschooler experiments by making marks or scribbles. This stage provides the child with the opportunity to explore and better understand writing tools. Although scribbles may not look like a specific drawing or writing, this stage is highly significant. At the basic level it allows the child to discover the world of writing through simplistic actions.
As the preschooler develops, her handwriting also changes and grows. Cognitive developments that lead to an increase in dramatic play activities often accompany a significant change in handwriting style. Instead of simply scribbling or making random marks to explore a writing utensil, older preschoolers may engage in mock handwriting. As the child invents imaginative play scenarios, she may mimic adult actions such as cooking, working or handwriting. Children in this writing stage are often seen creating their own version of written words based on what they see adults do. This writing looks little like actual letters, and may be more akin to scribbles in appearance. The key difference between this and the former stage of scribbling is the intent behind the writing and the ability to distinguish random marks from intentional written words.
Preschoolers who have mastered mock writing are typically ready to move on to the next stage in writing development. In this stage, preschoolers create beginning or mock letters. Unlike mock writing, which mimics the general script of an adult's handwriting, mock letters are meant to look like real individual symbols of the alphabet. The child may not yet be developmentally ready to draw the true letter structure, but is capable of making marks that slightly resemble it.
After mastering mock letters, preschool-aged children may be able to transition into making conventional letters. This stage includes a move into realistic-looking alphabet symbols that closely resemble the actual letter structure. Children may begin this stage with familiar letters, such as the first letter of their name. At this stage of writing development, preschoolers have the developmental ability to observe letters and copy or write the lines and curves necessary to recreate them with some degree of accuracy.