Emergent Writing

October 3, 2023 9:06 am

With an increasing focus on literacy in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and beyond, the subject of emergent writing seems to be more prominent than ever.  Educators in the EYFS are in a prime position to nurture this skill, preparing children to become confident and competent writers.

What do we mean by ‘emergent writing’?

In the simplest of terms, when we talk about emergent writing, we are referring to children’s earliest engagement with written communication.  It is the process through which a child experiments with making marks and giving meaning to them.

What this looks like in practice will vary from child to child and setting to setting, based on the opportunities and experiences available as well as prior knowledge.  It usually starts as scribbles which to us might not mean anything, but a child could well go into great detail about what it represents and what they are trying to convey. These very early stages are vital in paving the way for what comes next – writing.

It’s important to remember that for children to become confident in emergent writing, they need to develop a knowledge of letters and text to support this.  Children need to see it before writing it, emphasising the need to also prioritise reading, with a range of diverse books throughout the provision.

How can I support emergent writing in my setting?

Children need lots and lots of opportunities to practice their emergent writing.  However, what makes this skill easier to master and to develop fluidly into more formal handwriting, is a sound foundation in fine motor skills.  When children have developed strength in their hands, fingers and wrists, as well as arms, shoulders and core, they are better able to hold a pencil with control and confidence to make firm marks.  Therefore, settings should have ample opportunity for children to refine these skills throughout their provision.  This could include block building, threading, using tweezers, playdough, puzzles, baking and weaving.

Alongside this, there should be a variety of ways in which children can make marks.  Ideas include….

• Mud and sticks
• Greetings cards
• Whiteboards and pens
• Diaries and notebooks
• Envelopes
• Gloop and spreaders
• Clipboards
• Chalks

As well as opportunities for emergent writing on a small scale, children should have space to make marks on a larger scale.  Consider rolls of paper, brooms and powder paint on a wet day and large whiteboards.

We need to remember that emergent writing and mark-making is much, much more than pens and paper.  It is important to consider that children will have different characteristics of learning and what appeals to a few might not appeal to the whole cohort.  This calls for well-considered provision indoors and outdoors which enables children to explore, test out their ideas and develop their skills.

In order to understand that marks carry meaning, we need to be exposing children to language through text and symbols.  There are opportunities everywhere but these can sometimes be missed in a busy setting where there are a myriad of other roles to perform.  However, it can be simple things like pointing out labels, the title of a book, the address on a letter, names in shoes or clothes and signs on a local walk,     You could even turn it into a challenge and ask children (and families!) to bring in an item or two from home which has a well-known symbol on and use these to make a display with the children.  In this way, children see packaging, newspapers and labels which are different to those in their own homes.

Look around your setting and reflect on the opportunities for children to engage in emergent writing, indoors and outdoors.  Could you offer a broader range?  Ideas could be:

• A register where children make a mark against their name when they come in
• Clipboards in the construction area so children can make plans
• Invitations in the home corner to invite friends to a party
• Making marks to vote for the book they’d like to read that day.

The role of the adult:

The first step is to understand the significance of early writing, recognising that it is more than just marks on the paper.  Taking time to engage in conversation with children about what they have created can be incredibly enlightening.  What to us might look like a few wiggly lines might actually be a shopping list, a story, a menu or a train ticket.  Unless we delve deeper, we miss opportunities to understand this vital element of emergent writing.  Also, when children know that we are interested in the marks they are making, they feel valued and are more likely to engage in more emergent writing in the future.

Educators play a crucial part in role-modelling writing in the setting.  Children need to see us writing and making marks as this is another element in understanding that these marks have meaning.  Perhaps you could write down some of their ideas at circle time, scribe a story as they make it up, use a tally chart to keep score during a number game, mark the days off on a calendar, make a shopping list for snack and let them see you writing notes so you don’t forget something.

One-to-one or small group discussions are a way to generate talk which will lead to you writing down children’s thoughts and ideas.  It might be about a book you have read and you’re coming up with an alternative ending, perhaps thinking about what might be happening in a photo or making plans so what they might like to do in the setting the following day or week.  In this way, the link between talking and writing becomes clear, highlighting the need to prioritise communication skills.

And finally….

Supporting children to engage in emergent writing can be incredibly rewarding.  Watching them go from making scribbles to something resembling a letter and then writing their name is something you will feel that you’ve contributed to, both through your engagement and also through the environment which you provide.  Let children see that you are a reader and a writer and this will influence their own learning behaviours.  Most of all, have fun nurturing your future writers!

Big School Skills Book

We have created the perfect book for children to practice those important writing skills before they head off to school. This book can be used freely and does not need to be a structured booklet.

The activity book includes number games, alphabet practise, colouring, adding up, drawing and more – perfect for use during their final weeks with you or as a leaving gift to fill in with parents/carers at home.