Writing & Drawing (12 - 33 months)
Young toddlers communicate with their whole bodies. When they have something to say, they often gesture or point as they babble or talk. They learn many of these gestures by imitating actions they see teachers and family members do.
As toddlers begin to learn to write, they continue to imitate the actions of adults who are important to them—actions such as writing, drawing, typing, swiping, and texting. Don’t be surprised if you see toddlers pushing buttons on a keyboard or cell phone, scribbling with crayons, swiping through a photo album, or “writing” a shopping list.
For most toddlers, the process of writing is more important than the end product. They experiment with different kinds of marks without meaning to tell a story, write a message, or make a picture. This is why you might see a toddler make a trail of dots as his crayon hops like a bunny, happily scribble over a picture, or type an “email” with random letters.
Many of the activities you already do with toddlers prepare them to begin writing. Here are a few things educators can encourage children to do every day.
- Paint on easels to develop upper body strength, fluid motions, and eye-hand coordination.
- Sing and act out action songs to develop body strength, fluid motions, and balance, along with language.
- Pinch play dough, string large beads, turn knobs, and do finger plays to develop more precise movements.
Pretend to read and write to help toddlers understand what writing is for and how it works.