What is the practice?
Crayons, pencils, pens, or any other writing instruments that are easy for young children to grasp and hold will work best. Making marks and scribbles comes naturally to most children. Showing a child how to use drawing and writing instruments to scribble is often all it takes for her to try to do it on her own.
What does the practice look like?
A child is seated on her father’s lap with paper spread out on the table in front of them. The little girl’s father picks up a crayon and starts scribbling while saying “Swish, swish! Look at what Daddy is drawing.” The girl reaches for the crayon and takes it from her father. Her father points to the paper and says “Sweetie, scribble here.” He gently guides his daughter’s hand to the paper where she tries to make a mark. Dad puts just enough pressure on the top of the crayon so that his daughter’s efforts are successful. The little girl keeps trying and trying until she finally does it on her own.
How do you do the practice?
There are many different ways of providing young children opportunities to scribble and draw. Here are some ideas you might find helpful with the children you work with.
How do you know the practice worked?
- Does the child show increased interest in scribbling and making marks?
- Is she getting better at picking up and holding a writing instrument?
- Does she seem pleased at what she has done by smiling, vocalizing, and getting excited?
- Find a place that is comfortable for the child where her hands are free to hold a writing instrument. Sitting on your lap, sitting in a high chair, and sitting by herself on the floor are just a few positions that you may want to try.
- Big crayons, fat pencils, and adapted writing instruments are generally the first objects young children will use to scribble with. Search the Web for adapted handles and you will find a host of ideas about how to make it easy for the child to hold writing instruments.
- Nontoxic felt-tipped markers are generally easy for infants to hold and use. You might even try big pieces of chalk. The easier it is for a child to hold onto what she is scribbling with, the more likely she will be successful.
- Pick the right surface for the kind of writing instrument the child is using: paper for crayons and pencils, white board for magic markers, and blackboard or sidewalk for chalk.
- Turn the scribbling activity into a conversation by talking about what the child is doing and by showing how excited you are by her efforts at writing.
Take a look at more scribbling activities
Shopping List
Anytime Courtney’s mother is writing a note or making a shopping list, 9-month-old Courtney reaches and grabs the pencil out of her mother’s hand. She then proceeds to try to “write” like mom and in the process makes scribbling marks on the paper. Courtney’s home visitor suggests that, based on this interest, Mom could give Courtney her own pencil and paper so she can finish her own writing. Mom experiments with different writing instruments to find ones that Courtney can easily hold and make scribbling marks. Courtney’s mother has turned this activity into a conversation time, talking about who they are writing to and what needs to be on the shopping list.
Written in the Sand
Sixteen-month-old Rachel loves being outside and playing. One of Rachel’s favorite things is the sandbox in her caregiver Delilah’s backyard. She loves to dig, dump, move, and squeeze the sand. Delilah notices that Rachel has gotten pretty good at trying to dig with a small toy shovel. Delilah decides to see what Rachel will do if she pretends to write in the sand. She smoothes out the sand and tells Rachel that she is going to write her name. She uses a stick and prints her name while repeating each letter. Rachel is fascinated by what she sees and takes the toy shovel and starts to write in the sand just like Delilah. She does her best and makes a bunch of scribbles and lines. Delilah shows her excitement by saying, “Rachel spelled her name. She is such a good writer.” Rachel beams with delight.
Mouse Magic
Fourteen-month-old Joshua isn’t able to hold onto writing tools like pens and pencils because of his motor impairment. His early interventionist told Joshua’s mother about a special computer mouse that allows young children to draw and write on a computer screen. Mom sits Joshua on her lap in front of the computer and places his hand on the mouse and moves it about to show him how it makes scribbles and marks on the computer screen. Joshua is fascinated, making lots of noise and pointing excitedly to the screen. In no time he is scribbling and making all kinds of marks. As soon as Mom clears the screen, Joshua is at it again.
