Page 102 - Reading Nest - The Supportive Literacy Environment Handbook

Gradually the letters start resembling true letters. One of the first skills is to write the first letter

of one’s name and then the entire name. Sometimes the child knows all the letters but in
random order. Further they learn to write letters of the mother, father, sister, brother, dog until

all letters become familiar as if learning without effort. It takes time to understand writing
from left to right and before then, even spirals can be created. Frequently children request help

from a peer or parent to write a particular word. Now teachers and parents can draw more
attention to the shape of letters, starting points, direction of movement of a line and spaces

between letters and words. Children are able to invent ways of drawing where the direction of

movement is upwards but it does not hinder drawing a single letter, however, incorrect
direction of movement would be difficult to rectify later.

M. K. Lerkkanen (2007) recommends the following principles:

• Create an image – a fairy tale, poem or proverb related to the letter helps remember

its shape, direction of drawing and placement on lines.
• Show example – draw a large model letter before your pupils.

• Pay attention to writing/drawing the shape of the letter: starting points, directions,

rhythms; a letter may be drawn in the air, on the palm, board, paper and so on.
Explore with children where a letter begins and stops.

• Use letter boards as memory prompts – large boards on classroom walls, small ones
on desks.

• Practise every day – even short periods at home and school.

To learn the correct directions in writing a letter is very important for kindergarten and primary

school teachers. Previously it really mattered how to move a quill or fountain pen across paper

in a particular direction to create a nice line and avoid smudging.
Modern writing implements pose no such issues and actually there is no difference which way

to make the lines. However, writing speed is better if the directions are correct and thus deserve
attention. Considering the environment in which our children will be writing most of their text

in the future, perhaps more attention should be paid to typing with ten fingers. Similarly to
writing, it is fine if a child types with one finger at the beginning. Typing with four fingers,

for example, is no more tragic than drawing lines for letters from bottom to top. Conscious

practice should be guided towards the acquisition of the fastest and most efficient way of
writing, so that technical skills would not hinder or slow down communication via written text.