Pre-writing Shapes

Your Child Needs to Master these first BEFORE learning to write

Did you know that there are 9 pre-writing shapes that your child should master before they write letters? It’s all too tempting to run before walking, but it’s essential that these shapes are mastered first.

If you’re child is starting school in September, your thoughts might already be turning to preparation, especially with school place allocations being announced in April.

Your thoughts might turn to mastering letters and numbers, before the school year starts. But sometimes, the best of intentions lead to frustration and the worry.

Here’s the thing, learning to write is really quite hard! There are a number of skills that need to be mastered first, including:

• being able to sit (core strength is essential for being able to sit at a table)

• fine motor skills

• crossing the midline

• hand-eye coordination

• knowledge of what letters are - this usually comes from reading print.

In this blog post, we will be exploring the 9 pre-writing shapes, some examples of fine motor skills that you can work on with your children and ideas on how to use the pre-writing shapes within activities.

When my children were younger, we spent a great deal of time working on these basic pre-writing shapes, before we started working on other tasks such as learning to write letters and writing stories.

9 Pre-Writing Shapes

So what exactly are the pre-writing shapes?

Simply put, they are very basic lines, crosses and shapes - the specific strokes and lines that need to be mastered before a child can comfortably move onto other tasks such as writing their name.

But first, let's address the ages. These ages are simply an average base-line. Some children will be ready to write much sooner, whilst others might take a little while longer. This is okay. Always use your own assessments and observations of your child to establish when they might be ready to form these pre-writing shapes.

One of the best things you can do to establish whether your child is ready for pre-writing shapes is to create plenty of art. Process art and mark making will allow your children the opportunity to develop fine motor skills.

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for plenty of ideas on how to develop essential pre-writing skills.

Pre-writing Ideas to Try:

Once your child is ready to start the pre-writing shapes. I suggest a three-step process.

1. Copy lines with loose parts or playdough

2. Copy over the top of lines with a pencil, whiteboard marker, chalk or paint

3. Draw lines independently using a pencil, crayon or a salt tray

Step 1

Use loose parts such as pinecones, pebbles, pompoms or wooden peg dolls as a way of introducing pre-writing shapes.

Start by drawing the pre-writing shapes onto a tuff spot tray or the ground in chalk, then provide a basket of loose parts for your child to use. If they aren't really sure what to do, join in the fun yourself!

As you can see from the photo below, you don't have to stick rigidly to the 9 pre-writing shapes I shared above. You can have fun with swirls and wiggles, particularly if you intend to repeat similar activities throughout the course of a few weeks or months.

Step 2

Once your child has mastered the hand-eye coordination necessary to follow the lines, invite them to use a wet paint brush or do-a-dot marker to copy over the pre-writing shapes.

In the photo above, I drew lines on a chalkboard and invited my daughter to paint over the lines with water.

Step 3

Once tracing is mastered, it's time to work on drawing the lines independently. Putting pen to paper can be daunting for many children, which is why I recommend using a salt tray first.

To make your own salt tray, simply combine table salt and a small amount of food dye in a resealable bag, then pour the mixture into a small tray. Add a paintbrush or stick as a writing tool, then invite your child to try copying the shapes!

Need advice?

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Printable Pre-Writing Shapes download

The Cottage Classroom members are able to download a printable version of the 9 pre-writing shapes.