Kids Handwriting Practice 3 to 4 years

So what should a 3 to 4 year old be able to do?

Handwriting Practice 3 - 4 Years

The above examples have been shared with us by some early years educators. It shows the standards they expect to see.

What an early years educator is expecting to see

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.

Shapes your child should be drawing

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.

Your Child's Handwriting Checklist

Meet your handwriting expert

Hi, I’m Sheilagh, an occupational therapist and handwriting expert. I’m an author of 2 books and was the handwriting advisor for the Peppa Pig handwriting letter books. I help children develop the skills needed to write and learn how to form letters with ease.

How you can help

1. Crawl like an animal

To be able to control a pencil, your child will need good shoulder and wrist strength. Becoming an animal can help develop the muscles in these joints. For example hopping like a frog, walking like a crab or taking a slow stroll like a turtle.

2. Create a town

Use up old wall paper by drawing on it. Place it 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.

3. Don't pick up a pencil

Many children find writing letters hard. Some will avoid all activities that use a pencil. Instead, use playdough. Making snails, and dinosaurs will them learn how much pressure to put through their hand. A skill needed for writing.