Encouraging Young Writers (page 3) Long before they go to
school, before they even know the alphabet, children begin to
write. In fact, for most children, literacy begins at home . . .
with a crayon. The scribbles of very young children have meaning
to them, and scribbling actually helps them to develop the
language skills that lead to reading. Young children who are
encouraged to draw and scribble stories will learn to write more
easily, effectively, and confidently once they head off to
school. How can you encourage your children to write? From
infancy on, reading books aloud to your children is the single
most important way you can help them get ready to both read and
write. Hearing you read aloud gives them their first meaningful
experiences with printed words, and makes them aware of how
stories work. After they learn to read, writing continues to be
a natural spin-off activity that contributes to their language
and reading development. In this article we offer many other
ideas for encouraging preschoole