Drawing or art activities to help writing skills? (toddlers/preschoolers)?

Question

I have a three year old son and he loves to draw! I'm trying to teach him to write his name and letter and numbers. He can to the conect the dots to make letters, and he can draw simple pictures like people, dogs, cats, trees, flowers, sun and clouds with rain... that sort of thing. I'm wondering if there are any activities that can help him get controle of his movements when writing letters and numbers with out the contect the dots?

You have both given me great ideas! I hope I can get some more answers.
I don't let my kids use the computer, I just want to keep them "technology free" for as long as I can. I want them to be creative in their own way rather than play video games. I will look into the disney activities and see if it is worth my $. I try not to spend cash on stuff I can do at home with my kids, if I can help it. By the way I have a HUGE box of magic erasers!! LOL My 2year old thinks she is DaVinci and puts murals on our walls!

My son likes to do these types of activities, and I by no means push him to do anything. When he was younger he would ask me to draw things, people trees or what ever, and that is how he got interested. He wants to know how words are spelled so I show him. He is very inquisitive and willing to try new games and new ideas. I want him to experiance these fun games and if we are lucky he will learn something in the process. Kids will not learn anything if they are not having fun!

His people, dogs, cats, trees etc... are all simple formed drawings. They are made of either straight lines or circles. Hair on the people is a swirly line. His problem is zig zaging lines or angles. Like the letter A is an angle like a triangle. He can't do that. So I'm looking for ideas to help him build the SKILLS to be able to do this type of writing. I'm not trying to force him to learn it, but I want him to have the ability to do this when the time is right.

Answer 1

There are some stencils for him to practice writing through for ABC's and 123's available at www.onestepahead.com. They are for kids age 4 and up. I LOVE this site!!

Since you are working with him, and you both seem like smart people, he has the best thing going for him right now: a mommy that cares enough to engage him in artistic endeavors! And he'll soon enough write on everything so have that Mr Clean Magic Eraser handy!

My 3 year old and I play with clay, water color with very fine brushes on small paper to encourage keeping it small. We use colored pencils for drawing. Anything to help work on fine motor skills is good for their little hands. Something as simple as wringing out the wet washcloth to wipe his face in the morning is a skill building/muscle enhancing activity.

Are you using the computer with him yet? There is a subscription based ($50/yr) online program with Disney: http://playhouse.go.com/v1/marketing/?source=PpPLPtoGoo05000&cmp=BAC-GOO-Link

The Playhouse Disney Preschool curriculm changes every 2 weeks which is awesome. It'll get him motivated to use a mouse while teaching terrific skills. My 3 year old has been doing it 3 days a week since July of last year. He's very good on the computer now, almost scary good with a mouse. Go for it. You'd spend $50 on dvds or art supplies without even a thought, and there's a 7 day free trial so yo can check it out.

This made a world of difference with one of my older boys, buy a jewelry making kit and work with him. We strung beads until I thought I was going to scream, but it did increase his agility with a pencil. And his Grandmother and I have some very fancy baubles, too.

Have fun and keep up the good work!!!

Answer 2

Here is an easy art project:

Get a big piece of white paper and write the childs name with a black marker. Have the child tear different colored construction paper into little pieces. Get a glue stick and have the child trace his name with the glue stick then glue the torn pieces of paper on it. This helps with fine motor skills and hand/eye coordination.

You could also get stencils with the alphabet in them(not with the broken letters) and have him practice his name that way so he gets used to the movement that goes along with the letters.

Have him draw shapes and show him how some shapes can be turned into letters. Example: Have him draw a circle then show him that is also an "o". If you add a line you can turn the circle into a p,a,d,q. Part of a circle is a "c", etc.

You could also get whipped cream or shaving cream(if he wont eat it) and put it on the table, then have him write his name and draw pictures. You could also use pudding. Those are things to do if you dont mind a bit of a mess but the kids love it.

Answer 3

I agree with Wollam... Small motor abilities cannot be rushed and continue to nuture through lots of drawing on blank paper! I'm sure you're reading lot - so important. Don't forget about painting - with water colors, at an easel, on the floor etc. All of these experiences are pre-writing - just what your little guy needs to be doing!
Director of a great preschool!!

Answer 4

He is three years old, developmentally he is at a normal stage or norm, he will eventually get to do the zigzag usually at 4 years old, just keep him practicing the dots, even if you think they are not enough, but that's wrong it is imporant that he get to see and draw or write.
also, you can improve his writing skills when playing with playdough together make with him the letter A and show him how to make the angle, also cutting the zigzag is also an addtional reinforcement of the concept of the angle^.
so step by step, let the child develop at his own pace.
sing songs such as ABCD.., and numbers with songs while writing them with him, use different coulours, and also some rulers have the triangle shape and letters, they will be beneficial when your child start tracing around them.
use a chalk board and play with your child " teacher and student", you write the first letter and your child will write on his board.

Answer 5

I would recommend activity book published by Kumon. They are great book for 3 to 6 years old. It teaches by daughter the fundamental skills in writing, drawing and craft making.

Answer 6

Well he is still fairly young but you can give him an over sized pencil and show him how to do swirls.
use mazes with his big boy pencil. Give hims stencils since this will help him keep inside each of the letters or images and they love to do stencils and make pictures with these.
With age comes more control so in about a year he is going to be very good with his small eye hand coordination.

Answer 7

Seems to me there's too much emphasis on teaching children to read and write at very young ages: that's not always a good idea. As the last person said, DON'T rush him: he's only 3! If you emphasize "academics" too much in preschoolers, they may get sour rather than smart! There are many important things he should be doing like playing in sand, mud and water, matching shapes/objects/picture cards, learning to dress himself, beginning to use scissors, crayons and markers, exploring textures indoors and out, digging, pounding, building, gluing, tearing, taping, scooping, pouring, stacking, knocking down, playing with little people and vehicles, etc. Give him practice with many kinds of media and experiences and he'll write and read when he's ready. Also, if the important people in his life demonstrate writing, he'll ask to be shown how. Let his brain and muscles mature as nature designed them to, and let his natural curiosity and desire to learn guide the way!

Answer 8

a fun way to do this "practice makes perfect" ability is to get a flat bottomed bowl ( or a Tupperware sandwich holder, etc. ) then get a packet of strawberry jello ( or any other favorite ) and pour some into the bottom of the container. tell him he can lick his finger after drawing a letter or a number. as long as he is drawing something in the powder ( by the way it only takes a tiny bit of the powder! ) he will be working on his hand coordination. good luck!

Answer 9

Full control of his fine motor skills will come with time. Don't rush things too fast. Bright children still need to be children.
So out to the sandbox and have him draw letters in the sand with his finger. Continue with the arts and crafts since this is building his coordination and fine motor skills.
If we don't push our children their natural abilities will develop.

Answer 10

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