Pre Writing Shapes

For children to be ready to start forming letters, they need to be able to create the underlying shapes that make up those letters. Fun activities with these shapes can also help prepare and develop childrens writing readiness. These pre- writing shapes are in the image below:

Here are some fun and immersive sensory activities to explore using pre writing shapes:

Painting over the shapes with qtips.

Using a rainbow sheet of paper and salt to create rainbow shapes.

Sticking colourful dots over shapes and lines.

Using sequins, stickers and gems to palce over lines and shapes.

Let them have lots of messy fun exploring shapes in shaving foam.

Adding buttons, playdough, colourful rice and sequin changing materials are all great resources to leave out to encourage pre writing skills.

Painting over chalk is a great way to practice pre writing skills

While visual motor integration is a crucial component of writing, there are further indicators for writing readiness too. Can the child hold a pencil efficiently? Can they identify letters or components of letters to distinguish differences and similarities? Can they follow verbal instructions? Do they have the dexterity in their fingers and fine motor strength to hold a pencil correctly and form shapes? Practicing correct pencil grip and enjoying plenty of fine motor activities together can really help to prepare a child for writing readiness.