This is one of the most common questions parents ask. Parents can help children learn letters, numbers, and writing skills in many simple ways.

"My 4 year old has been really interested in writing letters and numbers. What can I do to support them at home?"

First off, way to go on observing your child's interest and following their lead! Supporting beginning reading and writing skills can feel huge and expansive, but you are likely already doing more than you realize. Does your child dig in the dirt, climb, use playdough, color, build with Lego? Great!

The biggest thing is to keep it fun and take it a little at a time. Language skills are complex and interwoven, which also means there are endless ways to support the development of these skills. That said, let's focus on the mechanics of early writing for now.

In Montessori classrooms, writing doesn't begin at any set age, though we do often see a dramatic increase in interest when children are around 4 years old. Sometimes we see it in 3 year olds, sometimes 5 year olds, it just depends. You are the expert on your child. Observe, follow, model, and guide as it feels right.

Ok! Now for some specifics:

Make mistakes. Whenever you are writing in front of your child, make mistakes. Point out your own mistakes and make light of it, like it's no big deal, something like "oops, that doesn't look like I wanted it to!" and have a little laugh and move on. Sometimes kids see other people's writing as perfect and they don't understand why their writing isn't exactly the same. Model imperfection.

Build hand strength. This is important and worth repeating. Go dig in the dirt, break sticks, climb trees, trace objects around the house, pin-punch, use a screwdriver, make cookies... you get the idea. These are valuable activities in their own rite and also serve to develop the muscles needed for holding a pencil and controlling the hand for writing.

Use a variety of tools. Early writing in Montessori is done by writing in a tray of sand without tools and focuses on the larger hand movement. When it's time for tools, using a paintbrush with water on a chalkboard or a big rock is a favorite activity. When practicing with tools, short and wide are the best bet because they are easier for little hands to grasp. Break regular chalk into smaller pieces and use bigger/thicker markers, crayons, and pencils when possible.

Focus on expression. Ok, I know I said I was going to focus on the mechanics of writing but I have to throw this in there. Keep the focus on your child expressing themselves and less about what the letters and numbers look like. That will come in time.

With emerging writers we want to create plenty of positive experiences with writing - which is why the first 'writing' in the Montessori environment begins with the Movable Alphabet. Children learn that communicating through the written word is a powerful tool even if their hands aren't quite ready for the task.

Really, it’s less about the actual writing, and more about developing a positive relationship with writing.