Handwriting Practice 3 - 4 Years
Age 2
Hand dominance is emerging
Age 3
Has a greater interest in making marks but not forming letters
Age 4
Able to draw basic lines and shapes
Age 5
Can print letters in the upper and lowercase style
What an early years educator is expecting to see
We have the following examples shared with us by some early years educators. It shows the standards they expect to see.ย
In the UK, the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) years range from 40 months to 60 months (3.3 to 5 years). There is no reference to handwriting expectations. But, the goals include holding a pencil well. Writing letters that look like letters. They also include writing simple sentences. Some children aren’t ready to write at this age. They are not yet physically developed enough.ย
What to expect at this age in more detail
At the age of three, hand dominance is still emerging. Your child will have a greater interest in making marks. But, they’re not yet able to form letters. Time spent drawing and colouring is invaluable. This helps them develop hand-eye coordination skills. They should be able to draw a vertical, horizontal line and a circle. A pencil grip is still developing and a tripod grip isn’t yet expected.
At age four, your child can draw simple shapes. These include a square, a single diagonal line, and a vertical cross. They would know some letters. But, the formation will be irregular. They’ll start to understand that a pencil goes across the page from right to left. Their hand dominance will be further established. And the pencil grip, in the form of a tripod grip, is emerging.
What support your child might get for handwriting at school?
In preschool and nursery, early years teachers should be encouraging your child to play. They shouldn’t have handwriting lessons. However, they may give worksheets to help develop pencil control skills. Play is really what is needed. It helps children develop the skills they need to write.ย
Why handwriting practice mattersโ
Play has changed. Games are more technological. iPads and tablets often fail to teach children basic hand skills. This means they start nursery not able to easily hold a pencil. Children who lack pencil and fine motor control skills find writing letters hard. You will know when your child is ready to write by how they hold a pencil. If they still hold it like a paintbrush then they are not quite ready.
Practice should focus on controlling the pencil. It should also be fun. Your child should be making marks on the paper and drawing. These should occur before we ask a child to write their name.
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Playful Practice: 3 Fun Handwriting Activities for You to Try at Home
This is how we keep handwriting practice fun. Here are 3 ideas that you can try at home. At this age, all activities should build pencil control. They should not focus on letter writing.ย
Crawl like an animal
To be able to control a pencil, your child will need shoulder and wrist strength. This can be hopping like a frog, walking like a crab or taking a slow stroll like a turtle.
Create a town
Children love to draw everywhere. Instead of them drawing on the walls, encourage them to draw on spare wallpaper. Put the wallpaper on the floor. Ask them to draw a town with roads, buildings and greenery. Next, move toy cars around the town. This helps develop hand-eye coordination skills.
Don’t pick up a pencil
Many children find drawing tricky. They also find writing letters hard. Some will avoid all activities that use a pencil. Instead, use playdough. Making snails, caterpillars, and dinosaurs will help a child learn how much pressure to put through their hand. A skill needed for writing.
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Please tick which age group is most relevant.ย
