Scribble For Success

 

            The very best thing you can do to set your child up to become a good writer someday is to set your child up - literally - with crayons, coloring books and scratch paper in the early years.

 

            That's right: what looks like a pointless activity for little people is actually one of the most powerful skills training activities of childhood. The main benefit, besides providing fun and a sense of accomplishment, is that your child's hand and arm muscles, and all-important hand-eye coordination, are slowly and effortlessly being developed for handwriting.

 

            That will be very important in the early grades of school. The more quickly and accurately your child can write the alphabet letters, the more quickly and accurately your child will be able to write words, smoothly and legibly. Children with good handwriting can get their ideas down on paper better, which causes less frustration, and encourages them to write more and more.

 

            Many preschools today are making a mistake by minimizing time they give the children for plain, old-fashioned coloring and scribbling, in favor of doing more hands-on play that works on their large-motor skills. Sure, those are important, too. But if your child isn't getting that developmental practice at home, nor at preschool, you are shortchanging him or her.

 

            So make time for coloring and scribbling, every day. Have a big box of crayons and markers available, and plenty of scratch paper and coloring books. Sit down with your child and color away, too: make it a special part of your day together, and color both of your worlds with fun.