Nursery World - Curriculum - In focus… ready to write

Children should be physically ready before they are expected to write, having experienced developmentally appropriate PD activities, explains Reception teacher Claire Martin

Painting with mops helps to develop children’s shoulder and elbow muscles

Physical Development is one of the Prime Areas of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Without a solid foundation of good gross and fine motor control and a variety of experiences moving in different ways, children will struggle with many areas of learning, including pre-writing skills.

Developing practice which makes connections between learning areas is key to implementing your curriculum within the EYFS. Understanding how physical development supports writing can guide observations and provide insights into how each individual child can be helped to progress.

A full and rich programme of Physical Development available to every child should focus on both gross and fine motor skills, incorporating real materials and open-ended activities. In this way, practitioners will be able to successfully provide children with a solid foundation on which to learn and develop writing:

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