Forming letters

[Pookamoo]

DD2 is forming letters incorrectly, for example "a" is a ball with a little stalk attached to the side, "b" and "d" are a tall stick with a circle touching somewhere half way up, "e" goes round and round and round, or is replaced with a capital "E", etc. I'd like to help her get it right as I know it's harder to "unlearn" later.

However... she is only 3.7.
I have been ignoring her early reading and writing up to now, because I don't want to push it, and I have heard about children being bored when they start school. I am happy for her to do it all in her own time. The only thing is, her "own time" seems to be now!

How can I help her learn correct lower case letter formation without pushing it? It could be a phase she is going through and maybe she will just drop it. I'm not planning to do any kind of formal stuff at home, but I thought maybe some of those colouring books where you follow the dotted line to make the letters? She could pick them up if she wants to, or not, if she doesn't.

She has a whole academic year before she starts school (her birthday is 4th September) and I am a bit scared, if I'm honest! I don't want to mess it up for her. She goes to preschool/nursery 2 mornings a week.

When she wrote "I am a robot" on a piece of paper, then drew a robot next to it this morning, I finally came to terms with the fact that I should probably be encouraging her.

Any preschool / reception teachers got any advice? It would be gratefully received. Thank you!

Really low-key finger-writing in glitter/sand/shaving foam - she can copy you.

Rainbow writing - draw a big bubble letter and you can take turns to trace inside it in different-coloured pens

Ipad apps - Hairy Phonics is good

Not a teacher, BTW!

I like the messy play ideas, especially over the summer, thanks. :)

She obviously does have some grasp of the 'shape' she is aiming at, so at this very young age I don't think it matters TOO much that she is doing her own version of letters.

And besides 'emergent writing' any mark making is good practice for pencil control, so encourage drawing shapes, or representational drawing (stick men etc), colouring in; child-friendly scissors for cutting up junk mail, catalogues, and stick them on paper or in a scrapbook, etc.

Make sure that YOU know the correct way to form lower case letters; I expect there is stuff on Cbeebies that will illustrate it, such at Alphablocks. Also use the correct phonic 'sound' for letters.

Use Duplo bricks, counters, Smarties etc for counting. Help her with one-to-one correspondence, and only go up to three or four at first. Accuracy is more important than getting up to double digits! Get her sets of plastic letters, numbers, domino or dice games. But make sure it is always FUN, and never stressful.

If you want to be prepared for school, when the time comes, this book may help you understand Phonics. But don't try to 'teach' her as such just yet:

An inexpensive and easy to use book, that can encourage children with reading, spelling and writing, and really help them to understand Phonics, is reviewed in the MN Book Reviews section. Just search ‘Phonics’.

Try these, they are great for teaching letter formation: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/019846035X/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_3essvb0W7QX9H

Just wanted to say don't worry about this, my DS was the same. Very early reader and was playing around writing letters a lot from 3 onwards. I have a lovely card he wrote for me at 3.4 stuck on our fridge and the a's are just as you describe. He had a couple of iPad apps where he was able to trace letters correctly (I Write Words is the one I remember but it has a horrid American accent so not sure it is a great recommendation) and at nursery they started doing Read Write Inc which included air writing letters and all the messy play stuff when he had just turned4. He didn't start forming letters correctly until well into reception. He is 6 now and writes, for the most part, really nicely (if not particularly neatly!).

Thanks for the tips fun is the idea. I really don't want to push it, but I'd like to encourage her as she's enjoying what she's doing.

re. counting, she can do up to 50 at least, probably 100. She knows the "tens" (10,20,30,40 etc) but doesn't always remember which one comes next - so she says for example "48,49... what's next?" and then picks up again after someone (often DD1!) tells her.

I think between the two of them they are brighter than I am . Which is a bit scary.

Unless you know the writing style of the school she will be attending, I wouldn't do anything

Some schools print and some form letters with lead in strokes and flicks as a precursor to joined up as early as reception

She's obviously enjoying playing with letters, just leave her to it

Encourage activities that improve fine motor skills -pegs, threading laces, playdough, beads etc etc but don't worry about the writing

DD1 is in y1 at the same school and has learned printing but with flicks on the end of letters, iyswim. No leading strokes.

I think the preschool children get to hang out in the reception classroom sometimes, too, so I suppose she's seeing it in there.