Motor skills in kids takes time

Learning to write involves many skills. Kids develop writing skills at different rates. But they tend to meet certain milestones by certain ages.

Well, actually, you shouldn’t be teaching your young child to write formally. Instead, you should be teaching them important foundational skills instead.

A child is not yet physically and developmentally ready to write during the preschool years. They will start experimenting with letters on their own and “writing” on their artwork, but they should not be forced to hold a pencil and form the letters correctly on a line.

Waiting is not causing a child to be behind. It takes time appropriately. Today, with multiple pre-schools at every corner of the city, and with each claiming to teach children to be smart, write and win in every field, has only resulted in anxiety and competition among the parents, without realising that they are robbing kids of their childhood.

Look at the differences between a typical preschool child’s hand (left) and a typical 7 year old hand (right). Want to know why a preschool aged child isn’t able to write yet?

This is why!

Their hands are still developing and are not fully formed. So what should they be doing to support this?

PLAY!! Playdough, colouring, cutting, gluing, playing outside, digging in dirt, sensory play, dress up play, science experiments, beading, puzzles, throwing balls, etc.

All of these things help their hands develop. When they are physically ready to write, they will! No need to rush them, they will show you when they are ready.

Parents and play homes don’t realise the harm they are doing when they force the child against the natural biological development.

However, it is important for the schools to introduce it sensitively. Every child has a certain age in which fine motor skills are developed.

The doctor further suggests that before introducing writing, the child should be allowed to colour and engage in activities like scribbling, doodling, and the likes.