Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/a-block-journal/5022132/
Young children are primarily interested in writing as a means of sharing their ideas. Young children’s writing abilities are best developed through genuine experiences as authors, and journal writing is a logical place to begin. A block journal, where children can record or dictate experiences related to their building, serves two very useful purposes: It chronicles various construction activities while also documenting children’s growing knowledge of print and their abilities as writers.Children’s Writing Development
Children’s ability to write evolves gradually over time as they experiment with the process of putting random marks, and later meaningful symbols, down on paper. Children’s writing may vary from using pictures and random letters to invented spellings and sight words. The message being conveyed, knowledge of letter sounds, ability to form specific letters, familiarity with standard spellings, and availability of print in the environment are all factors that influence children’s use of different writing forms.
BOX
Forms of Children’s Writing
Drawing: Pictures convey a message and are often ‘read’ by the child using the same cadence as when reading aloud.
Scribble-writing: Horizontal lines of wavy or looping marks frequently resembling cursive writing.
Letter-like forms: Marks resembling print in uniformity of size and shape that contain many of ...