The preschool child needs to practice his fine motor skills if he wants to control a pencil and learn to write properly. Before he picks up a pencil, the child should practice holding and manipulating objects in his hands. For instance, playing with Lego building blocks, cutting paper with scissors and putting puzzles together are activities that improve coordination, dexterity and hand control. Other activities to try include finger plays, pouring water into cups and using modeling clay.
Before learning how to shape and write letters, the preschool child needs to feel comfortable with a paper and pencil. Tracing patterns, joining dot-to-dot pictures are ideal choices. Children can also use a variety of mediums, such as modeling clay, to shape letters. Paint, sand and pasta shapes are all ideal for experimentation with letter shapes and early-writing attempts. Writing in shaving cream or fun foam are alternatives. Drawing in the air can be effective practice for letter formation.
Parents should involve children when doing any writing task at home. For example, if a parent is writing a shopping list, he could consult the child, who could help build the list. Even if the writing is an approximation of the word, such as milk, the child feels as though he has contributed to the list. Other examples of purposeful writing include writing a note for other family members and writing a thank-you card. The preschool child could add a few words to the letter or card, or even just a signature.
Give the child paper and ask him to copy all the words he can find in a certain room of the house or area of the classroom. For instance, in the kitchen, the child could copy simple words of food products, such as tea and coffee. Another idea is for the teacher or parent to write down exactly what the child says in a form of dictation; the child can try to follow the words as you read them back and then read them to other family members. This reinforces the connection between speech and writing.