Learning to write letters: 5 easy ways to make it fun for your child

by Joost Nusselder Updated on: September 20, 2023

How do children learn to write?

Writing is one of the most complex skills children have to learn. It is also one of the last skills they learn. Writing is a combination of motor skills, cognitive skills and emotional development.

In this article I will tell you exactly how you can best help children to learn to write.

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Guidance on learning to write: tips for parents

Learning to write starts with the development of fine motor skills. As a parent you can help your child with this by drawing, coloring and doing crafts together. This stimulates the fingers and helps develop the correct pen grip. Make sure you have sufficient practice materials at home, such as colored pencils, markers and paper.

Practice with shapes and letters

Before your child starts learning to write at school, you can practice drawing shapes and letters at home. Make it fun and playful by, for example, drawing the first letter of your child's name together. Use an exercise book or app to learn the correct spelling.

Extra exercise outside school

When your child is in primary school, the teacher will pay a lot of attention to learning how to write. Still, it doesn't hurt to practice extra at home. Ask the teacher for the right writing material, such as a pencil or pen, and provide a nice place to practice.

Read and write together

Read books and stories with your child so that they learn to recognize words and letters better. Also let your child write stories or write down words themselves. This helps develop good writing skills and increase vocabulary.

Make it fun and challenging

Children learn best when they enjoy what they do. Make practicing writing fun and challenging. Think of games, such as writing words on a whiteboard and then having them guess by the other person. Or create a story together where you take turns writing a sentence.

Provide positive feedback and support

It is important to motivate and support your child in learning to write. Give compliments when things are going well and help your child when they are struggling with something. Be patient and stay positive so that your child builds confidence and continues to enjoy writing.

Extra help with problems

Do you notice that your child continues to struggle with writing, despite your efforts and practice? Then consult with the teacher about any extra guidance at school or the involvement of a specialist, such as a speech therapist or occupational therapist. They can help your child develop good writing skills.

Find out if your child is left or right handed

Around the age of 2 to 3 years it usually starts to become clear whether a child is left or right handed. This preference arises through the development of motor skills and is reinforced as the child grows older. It is important to know that every child develops at their own pace, so sometimes it can take a little longer for the hand preference to really become clear.

Try both hands

When your child starts writing at school, around group 1 or 2, it is good to see which hand he or she feels most comfortable with. Let your child try to write with both hands and see which hand is the most stable and accurate. Your child may write equally well or poorly with both hands at first, but over time a clear preference will probably emerge.

The right guidance

As a parent, you can help your child discover his or her hand preference. Here are some tips:

• Give your child plenty of room to practice with both hands.
• Pay attention to how your child holds his or her cutlery, with which hand is the spoon or fork held?
• Look at other activities where your child uses their hands, such as buttoning a coat or holding a ball.
• Ask the teacher at school if they also see a preference in your child when writing or drawing.

Left-handedness and the challenges

About 10% of people are left-handed, and while it shouldn't be a problem, some challenges can sometimes arise. Consider, for example, finding a left-handed guitar or learning certain motor skills. It is important to support and help your child find the right tools and guidance.

The first steps in learning to write: group 1

In group 1, children start to get acquainted with letters in a fun and playful way. At this young age, the main emphasis is on recognizing letters and developing a general interest in language. For example, they can play games with the letters of their own name, or recite rhymes and verses with you to practice rhyming and syllables.

Fun apps and worksheets for young children

Special apps and worksheets have been designed to introduce children in Year 1 to the alphabet in a fun way. Consider, for example, the Bobo app, where children can learn to recognize letters in an interactive way and practice making simple words. There are also worksheets with search pictures, cut and paste assignments and puzzles that are specially designed for this age group.

The classroom as a learning environment

In the classroom, children are given ample opportunity to work on their language development. For example, there are often corners with letter and language games, where they can practice recognizing letters and making simple words. The bead board is also a popular tool for children to practice letters and shapes in a playful way.

When is the best time to start?

There is no set time or age when children should start learning letters. In group 1, the focus is mainly on getting acquainted with letters in a playful way and developing an interest in language. It is important to watch your child carefully and determine when he or she is ready to start learning letters. After all, every child develops at his or her own pace.

Practice and have fun together

The most important thing about learning letters in group 1 is that it remains fun and challenging for your child. Try playing games together, reading stories, and practicing rhymes and rhymes. This way, learning letters remains a pleasant experience and you lay a good foundation for the further language development of your child.

Learning letters in group 2: a playful journey of discovery

In addition to learning single letters, it is important that your child learns to recognize syllables and words. This makes reading and writing texts a lot easier later on. Try the following exercises:

• Clapping to the beat of syllables: Say a word and have your child clap the number of syllables.
• Compare words: put two words next to each other and let your child name the similarities and differences in the letters.

The first steps in writing

In group 2 your child will also be introduced to writing letters. This often starts with copying example letters. Give your child plenty of space to practice and encourage them to develop their own handwriting. Here are some tips to practice writing:

• Provide a quiet and comfortable place to write.
• Use a writing sample and let your child copy the letters.
• Let your child draw large letters first and then practice smaller and smaller.
• Practice both single letters and writing short words.

Left or right handed: give your child space

Whether your child is left- or right-handed, give them space to develop their own writing style. It is important that they feel comfortable holding a pen or pencil. Encourage your child to try both hands and see which hand feels most natural.

By practicing together with your child and learning through play, recognizing and writing letters becomes a fun and challenging journey of discovery. Good luck and have fun together!

The wonderful world of letters in group 3

To learn to write well, it is important that your child develops the right motor skills. For this it is important that you pay attention to how your child handles the pencil or pen. A good grip is essential for developing fine motor skills. In addition, it is important that your child sits with the correct posture: upright, with the feet flat on the floor and the hand used for writing, slightly slanted on the table. This gives your child the best basis for learning to write.

Practice drawing and writing

In group 3, a lot of attention is paid to practicing the shape and spelling of letters. This often starts with drawing the letters, where the students get to know the main lines. Then they start writing more and more words and develop their own writing style. It is important to practice with your child, both at school and at home. This way it receives the extra attention and guidance it needs to develop properly.

Typing on the computer

Nowadays, children are also increasingly learning to type on the computer. It is important that they use the right fingers for the different keys. This helps develop good writing posture and motor skills. In addition, it is also just fun and educational to work with the computer.

The upcoming months

In the course of group 3, your child will learn to write better and better. It is important to keep following this process closely and to offer extra help and guidance where necessary. This way you ensure that your child has a strong foundation for the rest of his or her school career and beyond.

Letter concatenation: a new challenge

After learning single letters in groups 1, 2 and 3, there comes a time when your child takes on the challenge of writing letters together. This is an important part of writing development and helps improve motor skills and write words more fluently. At home you can help your child with this by practicing together and by putting the right focus on the spelling of the letters.

Fine motor skills and lines: the basis for writing together

To be able to write letters together, it is important that you child has good fine motor skills. This means that it is able to draw the correct lines and connect the letters correctly. You can help your child with this by practicing drawing lines and writing letters together. It is important to pay attention to the following points:

• Make sure the letters are the same size and height.
• Note the way the letters touch: sometimes they should just touch, and sometimes they should overlap.
• Practice writing words that require the letters to be joined together in different ways.

Playfully practice writing to each other

To make practicing writing to each other fun, you can play games with your child that focus on writing words. For example, think of:

• Write a story together where your child writes the words together and you check the spelling.
• Vocabulary Bingo: Make a bingo card with words for your child to write and have them write the words together as they are called.
• Search the internet for fun games and exercises that focus on joining letters together.

Extra attention for left- or right-handed children

When writing letters together, it is important to take into account your child's preferred hand. Both left-handed and right-handed children can benefit from extra practice and attention when writing letters together. As a parent you can help with this by looking together at the way your child holds the pen and writes the letters. Make sure your child is comfortable and encourage them to keep practicing.

By practicing with your child and paying attention to the correct spelling of letters, you help your child develop a smooth and clear way of writing to each other. This is important not only for general writing skills, but also for your child's confidence in school and beyond.

The magic of story writing for kids

As a writer, I have discovered that children have an incredible source of creativity and imagination. They come up with the most fantastic stories, which we as adults can sometimes be jealous of. By means of to encourage children to write their own stories, we help them to develop their creativity and imagination. Plus, it's a fun way to improve their writing skills.

Write a story step by step

To help children write their own stories, it is useful to use a step-by-step plan. This gives them something to hold onto and ensures that they don't get stuck while writing. A simple step-by-step plan could look like this:
1. Come up with an idea for your story: what is it about and who are the main characters?
2. Make a short summary of the story: what happens in the beginning, middle and end?
3. Write the story in your own words, provide a clear beginning, middle and end.

Find inspiration in books and stories

Children often like to have examples before they start writing themselves. So let them first read a number of books or hear stories that are appealing to their age. Think, for example, of the books by Dolfje Weerwolfje, written by Paul van Loon, or the picture books by Joshua Douglas. Watching well-known writers build stories and bring characters to life inspires kids to get started.

The role of the teacher or parent

As a teacher or parent, it is important to be involved in the child's writing process. Give them space to develop their own ideas, but also offer help and support where necessary. Ask questions about their story, help them find the right words and give feedback on their work. This way you ensure that they stay motivated and have fun writing.

Writing tips and tricks for children

To help children even better in writing stories, there are various writing tips and tools that you can give them. For example, think of:

• The use of senses in the story: what do the characters see, hear, smell, taste and feel?
• Adding dialogues to make the story more alive.
• Using exciting and interesting words to keep the reader engaged.

The added value of writing stories

By teaching children how to write stories, we not only give them a creative outlet, but we also help them develop their language skills. They learn new words, sentence structures and grammar, while at the same time letting their imagination run wild. In addition, it is a fun and challenging activity that children love to do, which keeps them motivated to learn and grow in the areas of language and writing.

Conclusion

It is important to know how best to support your child in learning to write. It is important to know how best to support your child in learning to write. It is important to know how best to support your child in learning to write. As you have read, it is important to know how best to support your child in learning to write.

Joost Nusselder, the founder of Speelkeuze.nl is a content marketer, father and loves trying out new toys. As a child he came into contact with everything related to games when his mother started the Tinnen Soldaat in Ede. Now he and his team create helpful blog articles to help loyal readers with fun play ideas.