Stages of Writing
Development
These stages represent a way of looking at writing
development in children. All stages overlap and children progress and reach
writing stages at many different ages. The development of early writing skills
is another aspect of your child's emergent literacy development. Regardless of
which stage your child is at, writing development can be enhanced through being
encouraged to write on a regular basis. Children should never be discouraged
from exploring writing by the means they are able to do, whether it be
scribbling, letter strings, invented spelling, or conventional
spelling. http://www2.sedubois.k12.in.us/~jblackgrove/stages_of_writing.htm
Stage
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Example
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Preliterate: Drawing
- uses drawing to stand for writing
- believes that drawings / writing is communication
of a purposeful message
- read their drawings as if there were writing on
them
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Preliterate: Scribbling
- scribbles but intends it as writing
- scribbling resembles writing
- holds and uses pencil like an adult
|
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Early Emergent: Letter-like
forms
- shapes in writing actually resemble
letters
- shapes are not actually letters
- look like poorly formed letters, but are unique
creations
|
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Emergent: Random-letters or letter
strings
- uses letter sequences perhaps learned from
his/her name
- may write the same letters in many ways
- long strings of letters in random order
|
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Transitional: Writing via invented
spelling
- creates own spelling when conventional spelling
is not known
- one letter may represent an entire
syllable
- words may overlay
- may not use proper spacing
- as writing matures, more words are spelled
conventionally
- as writing matures, perhaps only one or two
letters invented or omitted
|
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Fluency: Conventional
spelling
- usually resembles adult writing
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