ECRR2-Writing

Every Child Ready to Read 2 (ECRR2) is an early literacy guideline/parent education initiative developed by the Public Library Association (PLA) and Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) - divisions of the American Library Association.  It was originally released in 2004 and revised a few years later (hence the 2). There are five skills emphasized in ECRR2: Play, Sing, Write, Talk, Read.

This is the second in a series of posts about ECRR2, focusing on the five practices.  

The Importance of Writing in Early Literacy Skills

Writing and literacy go hand in hand.  Writing helps children learn about print, letters, and increases both vocabulary and narrative skills.

As a young child scribbles, she is learning the skills that will one day help her to write her name and to read a sentence.  The marks a child makes on a page (or even your wall) make seem like nonsense to you; however, to the young “writer” those marks may very likely represent a story.  Through writing, children learn to correlate letters and words with the sounds they make and the objects they represent.  Writing also helps children to understand that print has meaning.

Scribbling is just one part of writing.  Learning and drawing shapes is a step in making letters.  Tracing lines, whether with a writing utensil or with a finger, is another.  These activities are stepping stones to learning to write. 

Using different materials to do these activities can not only be fun, but can help children learn through the sense of touch.  Try different types of materials, such as crayons, markers, and chalk, when drawing.  Use yarn to draw shapes and letters or cut shapes from sandpaper so they can be felt by little hands. 

So pull out the drawing supplies and have fun!   Play with the building supplies and make some shapes and letters.  Have fun with your child and develop literacy skills while you are at it!