Children are born engaged learners and excited by mark-making, but by the time they reach Year 1, many are reluctant writers. This is often due to adults forcing children to write in a formal way before they are ready. If we step back from an expectation of the ‘correct way to write’, we will find that more children continue to engage with mark-making.
Writing shouldn’t be limited to the writing area. Having clipboards, whiteboards and different types of paper around the different areas of your classroom provides the children with valuable opportunities to engage in mark-making. Ensuring some of these mark-making opportunities are vertical, as well as horizontal, will help develop children’s fine motor control.
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