If you’re struggling to teach your young child how to write, you’re in the right place. We have 17 tips on how to teach your preschooler to write their letters correctly. Follow along and before long, your child will be writing their first letters confidently.
Put Them To Work
When your toddler is old enough to hold a pencil and show an interest in writing, you can begin your Alphabet training. You don’t need to wait until they’re five to start teaching them to write. Even now, you can start by having them practice on a tablet. This will help build their confidence and make them want to continue writing. Once they enjoy writing, you can take them to the library and have a look at how other kids their age write. This will help you see how they should do it, so you can have better practice at home.
Show Love By Writing
If you want to train your child to be loving, you can start by writing down some letters of the alphabet. For example, if you want to teach them the letter S, write down some short notes and have them practice saying the letters as you write them. After a while, you will see that your child starts to associate happy thoughts with the letters S and will start writing them more frequently. Moreover, if you want to teach them to be kind, you can write down some nice, easy words and have them practice saying them over and over again. This will help build their vocabularies and help them understand the concept of kindness.
Make It Fun
When your child wants to do something, they will generally want to do it for as long as possible. This is also true when it comes to learning. If playing games and having fun are an essential ingredient in your book of tricks for kids, why not apply it to your Alphabet training too? For instance, you can play the letter game, where you show them a letter and they have to find the closest matching word. This game can help build their word awareness and increase their vocabulary. Moreover, having fun while training will make it easier for them to continue practicing and eventually become more efficient at writing. You can also make a deal with your child that every time they write a word correctly, they can have some juice or snacks. This way, you will both be having fun while practicing and learning.
Create A Routine
If you want to teach your child to write, you have to have a routine. This means going over the same lesson every week, whether it’s fun or boring. It takes time for your toddler to understand what is expected of them and for them to begin associating the task with positive feelings. If you want to change their mind about writing, you can start by having different colors and textures to practice with. Moreover, you can have them write while listening to music or playing a game. This will help get their minds off their tasks and make it easier for them to focus. Set aside 15 minutes every day, and you’ll see improvement in no time.
Start Small
If you’ve been trying to teach your toddler to walk, you’ll know that starting small is the key. The same goes for writing. Even now, if you want to teach your child to write their letters correctly, start small. Get them to write their name, then write another name, then the address, then the phone number. Once they’ve mastered those basics, you can move on to writing simple sentences. This is also a good way to help them build their confidence, as they will see the progress in the mirror. Don’t expect them to write an entire book in their first year, because it will take time for their hands to get used to the motion and for their minds to associate the task with positive feelings. Start small, write one thing, and you’ll be on the right track to good results. You can also set a goal for yourself as a parent, such as having them write their name, address, and phone number by the end of the year. If this is something that interests them, they may be more likely to want to continue down this path. If it’s not, then it’s time for you to find a new hobby.
Avoid Shaming
It is important to avoid shaming your child when teaching them to write. If you want your child to associate good feelings with the act of writing, you shouldn’t be punishing them when they make mistakes. Instead, you should be praising them when they write correctly. This is also important if you want them to continue practicing, as they will feel bad if they make a mistake and lose that feeling of success when they try again. An easy way to do this is by simply saying “good job” when they write correctly and “try again” when they make a mistake. This will help create the positive association you’re looking for.
Reward Good Behavior
When your child is old enough to understand the concept of good and bad, you can begin to reward them for good behavior. This could be as simple as giving them a pat on the back or letting them pick the movie to watch. The key is to consistently reward your child whenever they do something right. This will help create a positive association between the act of writing and getting the reward. It might take time for them to understand the concept of good and bad, so be patient and don’t rush the process.
Make It A Family Affair
Writing is a skill that will benefit your child in the future. However, it might not come naturally to them, so it’s important to have some help. If your family members can write, get them involved in the writing process. Tell your child that you appreciate their help and that it is an important skill for adults to know. Moreover, having family members help can make it a more fun experience for your child too. Another bonus is that it can help develop their communication skills. Let your child know that their thoughts and feelings matter, and that you are listening and want to help. Show them that you are proud of them and that they can do anything they set their mind to. This will help them have the confidence to continue writing and improve their skills.
Get Inspired
If you want to learn how to write, you can get inspired by anything. Look at the newspapers, or go on the internet and research any topic. The important thing is to find something that inspires you and allows you to write about what you find. For instance, if you’re looking for a topic for your children to write about, you can research animals, plants, or even people. If you want to learn how to write in cursive, you can use this as a way to practice. Look at old books or magazines and try to find any text that you can copy. Type of books doesn’t matter, as long as you can find something that inspires you.
Practice Together
One of the best things you can do for your child is to practice together. Write down some words and have your child practice saying them. Moreover, you can use a mirror so they can see how they’re doing and correct any errors. This will help develop their speaking skills and allow them to have fun while practicing. Let your child know that you are proud of them and that they can do anything they set their mind to. This will help create the positive association between the task and good feelings. As they get older, you can continue this practice and have them write out numbers too. This will help create an early foundation for math skills. You can also have them practice their letters while dancing or playing music. This will help get their minds off their tasks and make it easier for them to focus. Have fun!