Is it necessary that a 3 & half year old kid has to learn to write? what do you think?

Question

I don't require any bad answers.

Answer 1

KIDS WILL LEARN WHEN ITS TIME. Put it front of them they will learn when its time..

Answer 2

I think that at this age they should be learning to ENJOY writing rather than learning to write. They should be having fun 'scribbling'/mark making, playing games such as those magnetic boards where you have a pen shapes thing that makes shapes and then it gets rubbed off cant rememberw hat they are called :), having notepads to do their own drawings and reading books with parents/carers to learn to enjoy letters and sounds.

Also we play games that teach fine manipulative skills-fingers and wrists such as threading, small peg and board games, action songs (tommy thumb) and this builds up their strength and ability to use a pencil when they learn to write.

I believe that if children are pushed too early to write then they will start to back away from it and will get bored of it especially if they aren't ready for it because every time they "fail" they will become more negative about themselvesa nd writing which can effect them later in schooling.

In the Foundation Stage curriculum (3-5yr olds) it doesnt say child MUST be able to write, it says children should have opportunity and that they can be learning to write recognisiable letters such as their name as they get towards 4/5.

I'd have fun with 3 and half year old such as having thin layer of ketchup on tray and using fingers to make wiggly lines and circles etc. Also works with salt, shaving foam, foam soap (tesco) etc. I also have the kids outside with water and paintbrushes (no paint) and they can make marks on the walls and pavement. We also play games like making a fake shopping list for our games, or writing out restaurant orders :)

Answer 3

I think maybe a 3 year old can start learning to write their name, but there is no need to make him/her do it.  If the interest is there, go with it.  Any forced activity at this age will result in noncompliance.  I would go with what the child wants to do.  But I wouldn't make them to do, just encourage.

Answer 4

HAVE to?  Of course not!  If they want to, that's the time to sit down and try until their interest wanes.  They should be writing their name by the next year and that's about it.  I own my own preschool and the only requirement for entering kindergarten in this phase is writing their name - first letter capital, the rest lower case. good luck.

Answer 5

children need to be children but also learn .Let them have fun and mess around with words but take it easy.The subconscious minds language is symbols not words ,so may be explore symbolism first.

Answer 6

it only 3 year old but if you want to, yes yo u can and it would be good, it'll be easy for the kid when he grows up

Answer 7

If they want to learn then let them but no they don't really have to write until they go to school.

It's probably good if they can draw though as this will help them with the skills required for writing.

If your child is at preschool and they require him/her to write then I'd say go with it as if you don't let them they'll see it as something which is bad and it may cause problems in the future

Answer 8

It's never too early, but I wouldn't think that it's a matter of life and death...

Answer 9

Certainly not! In fact, recent studies have shown that kids who learn to read and write earlier are NOT the ones who do best in school and often get bored with reading/writing by the age of seven.

Answer 10

There are many skills that support the ability to write. At 3.5 years it is very important that these skills be developing. Allowing children to manipulate items that will strengthen the pincer grip will facilitate use of writing instruments. Sequencing is another good preparation for writing. Children should be tracing the shapes of the letters using only their fingers (and tracing in the correct writing style) with sandpaper or other textured letters to gain the understanding of of how to form the letters without having to use a writing instrument. While learning to trace the letters, they are also learning the sound that the letters make in their native language.

Additional practice can come with "tracing" the letters on the table, in a sand tray, or with a non-permanent utensil such as chalk.

During this process, playing sound games to help children "hear" the sounds made by letters within words should also be happening.

Children can be learning to use writing instruments independently of "writing" as well.

If all these systems are in place, spontaneous writing will happen (children writing words of their won choice) around the age of 3.5 or 4 years.

Learning to write as drill and practice is not brain compatible and should never be forced on a child at any age. However, if the spontaneous writing doesn't emerge as a result of giving all the support listed above at the developmentally appropriate age, it may be a more arduous task when the child is older.

Answer 11

I think that it is necessary that a 3 and half year old kid learns to write because the earliest the better. The child will be able to do good in school if they know how to write so I think that you should try practicing with the 3 and half year old to write basic words like his/her name for an example then write other words.

Answer 12

I think it is important that they learn to express themselves with a pencil. Or pen or colour. Maybe drawing at first. It is crucial for the child to learn to express himself as the ability will take him far in life.

Personally, I wish I had worked harder. My handwriting isn't that good now. I used to tell myself that it'll get better as I grow older but nah.... it's still bad... though one can see faint glows of neatness in it. So, it's necessary I say, yes.

Answer 13

They need to be using crayons, pencils, and markers to color but not necessarily to write. They need to build up their hand strength and fine-motor control before they can start writing recognizable letters.

Answer 14

If the child is ready...go for it but if not...don't worry about it.  They tend to develop at their own pace and it becomes obvious when they are ready to take the next step.

At 3.5 I would just provide many opportunities for "writing" but not really focus so much on the specifics of letter formation.