Developing Young Thinkers
Weekly Series — The five ways to help children master written speech.
Drawing is the beginning of writing. Learning letters is not the beginning of the writing process, but does supply the final component to move a young learner from drawing speech to recording speech.
Early drawing acts as a tool that helps young children analyze objects into increasing levels of detail. Initial drawings produce a model of an object which includes only its essential parts. As the child learns more about the object, the drawings will begin to reflect more detail.
Drawing increases a child’s awareness of their own thinking. Redrawing models and adding details helps them think while drawing and increases understanding.
There have been numerous studies showing the effect that drawing has as an aid to children’s ability to remember. Marks on a page are more than an abstraction; it creates a mental model of the item or story to be remembered. The drawing not only communicates to others, but like private speech, helps the learner build neural connections.
You can support the development of written speech in a variety of contexts.
- Use drawing in all areas or subjects. Have them draw about what they learned. Reflections help children understand their own thinking.
- Have them write and then read their messages even if they do not use real lettes.
- Invite them to write notes to themselves about what they are thinking about. Label their representations, and a few days later ask them what their message says. If they remember, encourage them to elaborate by pointing to different parts of the picture. This will help them remember more.
- Use a notebook and help them build a portfolio.
- Have them share their writing often.
Help them master the process of written speech long before they learn to write.
I hope this was helpful. All your comments and input are greatly appreciated. Don’t forget to follow us on Medium and join our newsletter at daVinci Publishing
