The Meaning of Marks

In her Exchange article, "The Meaning of Marks:  Understanding and Nurturing Young Children's Writing Development," which is included in the new Exchange Essential, Language Development, Rachel Robertson outlines the eight stages of writing development children progress through from "random scribbling" to "conventional spelling."  Along the way she makes a strong case for supporting children in the earliest stages of learning how to write...

"All literacy development begins from birth and each area of literacy development contributes to the development of the others, allowing children with well-rounded literacy learning opportunities to achieve higher levels of comprehension and success.  Early childhood educators have a particular responsibility to play a significant role in this endeavor, as the early years are ideal for introducing and supporting all of these skills and competencies.

"Writing development is a component of literacy development that has received much less attention than reading.  A novice might assume that a child learns to write in preschool or kindergarten by picking up a writing instrument and practicing, possibly copying dotted letters in a workbook or using a stencil as a guide.  However, the foundation for writing begins much earlier.  From the first grasping efforts a young infant makes to the rapt attention a toddler gives to story time, the foundational skills needed to write successfully are practiced.  Teachers can and should use this captive and enthusiastic audience to extend and enrich the natural progression of writing development."

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