To be able to help our children learn, we first must understand how they learn. It is important to understand the stages of development they are going through in all aspects of life, not just in written language. The following are the stages of development your child may go through while learning to write and use written language. Also, links to Piaget's stages of cognitive development, as part of social-cognitive theory, are briefly discussed.
Beginning Writing (0-3)
Links to Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development
In the sensorimotor stage (0-2 Years), children recognise the world around them and begin interacting with it. They begin to understand the ways in which we communicate with others. This includes both oral and written language. Children also learn through imitation. That is, copying from parents and teachers or other influential people in their life. Imitation can be used in many aspects of life, not just in learning how to use written language, through holding a pencil correctly, letter formation and much more.
- Observe and attempt to imitate writing of those around them and begins to understand that writing is a way of communicating
- Has developed fine motor skills enough to use a crayon or pencil to scribble and make drawings
- Uses drawings to communicate meaning and may attach a message to this drawing
- Experimenting with writing through play, making markings on paper
- Sometimes numbers are also used among the letters
- Writing shows common features of writing including ‘linearity, directionality and presence of distinguishable units’ (Teaching Early Writing -Part 1, s.8. n.d.)
Links to Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development
In the sensorimotor stage (0-2 Years), children recognise the world around them and begin interacting with it. They begin to understand the ways in which we communicate with others. This includes both oral and written language. Children also learn through imitation. That is, copying from parents and teachers or other influential people in their life. Imitation can be used in many aspects of life, not just in learning how to use written language, through holding a pencil correctly, letter formation and much more.
Early Emergent Writing (3-5)
Links to Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development
In the preoperational stage (2-7 Years), children continue to develop 'sensorimotor skills [through] knowledge of actions and objects, and use symbols and language' (Woolfolk, A. and Margetts, K., 2016). By using symbols and language, or drawings and letters/numbers, children continue to enhance their senses which allows them to engage further in the world around them. Children at this stage also have one-directional thinking, meaning they are incapable of making logical thought about many things at one time. This is also called centration; 'the inability to focus on more than one aspect of a situation at a time' (Woolfolk, A. and Margetts, K., 2016).
- Use drawings and letters to represent words
- Good understanding of directionality
- Starts learning how to write their name
Links to Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development
In the preoperational stage (2-7 Years), children continue to develop 'sensorimotor skills [through] knowledge of actions and objects, and use symbols and language' (Woolfolk, A. and Margetts, K., 2016). By using symbols and language, or drawings and letters/numbers, children continue to enhance their senses which allows them to engage further in the world around them. Children at this stage also have one-directional thinking, meaning they are incapable of making logical thought about many things at one time. This is also called centration; 'the inability to focus on more than one aspect of a situation at a time' (Woolfolk, A. and Margetts, K., 2016).
Emergent Writing (P-K)
- Is able to produce more letter-like shapes
- Begin to use spaces between letters, as if they were words
- Writing may be in lines from left to right and with correct directionality
- Continue to learn how to write their name
Early Writing (K-Yr.1)
Links to Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development
In the preoperational stage (2-7 years), children gain the ability to categorise. Therefore, in early writing they are able to understand the difference between letters and numbers in addition to understanding the difference between lower-case and capital letters. Additionally, children can differentiate between genres of text.
- Is able to write simple sentences with most forms of punctuation
- Makes up spellings to learn letter sounds
- Understands the difference between capital and lower-case letters
- Consistent spacing between words is occurring
- Understands that there are many different genres of writing
Links to Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development
In the preoperational stage (2-7 years), children gain the ability to categorise. Therefore, in early writing they are able to understand the difference between letters and numbers in addition to understanding the difference between lower-case and capital letters. Additionally, children can differentiate between genres of text.
Transitional Writing (Yr.1-Yr.2)
- Amount of writing increases and fluency is developed
- Punctuation is continuing to be established
- Able to write paragraphs in a faster and more efficient manner
- Begin to proofread and edit
Extending Writing (Yr.2-Yr.4)
Links to Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development
In the concrete operational stage (7-11 years), children are capable of logical and organised thinking which helps them write more complex texts in varying genres, check their work for meaning and fluency, have accurate use of punctuation and correct spelling. Also, children are able to arrange things in sequential order allowing them to write more elaborate pieces of writing as well as proofread their writing for context and flow. Children at this stage are also able to consider opposing perspectives, or the perspectives of others, which aids in their writing of different text types. For example, a child can write a fictional narrative from the perspective of a character and not themselves.
- Able to write more elaborate pieces of writing in different genres
- Writing resembles that of an adult
- Accurate use of punctuation and spelling
- Accustomed to revising and editing
- Is able to proofread own writing for meaning and flow
Links to Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development
In the concrete operational stage (7-11 years), children are capable of logical and organised thinking which helps them write more complex texts in varying genres, check their work for meaning and fluency, have accurate use of punctuation and correct spelling. Also, children are able to arrange things in sequential order allowing them to write more elaborate pieces of writing as well as proofread their writing for context and flow. Children at this stage are also able to consider opposing perspectives, or the perspectives of others, which aids in their writing of different text types. For example, a child can write a fictional narrative from the perspective of a character and not themselves.
The ideas used in the stages of writing development (above) were taken from:
Hill (2014) and Teaching Early Writing -Part 1 (n.d.)
Ideas about links to Piaget's theory were taken from:
Woolfolk, A. and Margetts, K (2016)
Hill (2014) and Teaching Early Writing -Part 1 (n.d.)
Ideas about links to Piaget's theory were taken from:
Woolfolk, A. and Margetts, K (2016)