Fingers to Crayons: Teaching the First Stages of Writing and Drawing
Dude, I love introducing new skills…and especially those skills you know are game changers. One often overlooked skill is teaching kiddos how to start with writing and drawing utensils. It’s so underrated! It’s linked to painting and sketching. The reflective practice of journaling (for adults like me). But, more importantly, these tools offer more than just a means to create; they provide a channel for expression and communication. For many of us, the joy found in using a pencil or crayon is a familiar experience. We relish in the simple pleasures of coloring, drawing, or painting, often forgetting the functional significance these skills hold in our lives.
Writing, in particular, opens a door of communication that can be transformative, especially for kids who may not yet have a strong vocal repertoire. In some situations, an individual might not be able to vocally tell you something, but if they can write it out, it could change everything. Then there are other life skills, as well. Consider the importance of filling out applications or signing one's name—these everyday tasks hinge on our proficiency with a writing utensil. Academically, we're often asked to "show our work," which underscores the functional necessity of writing skills.
You get the picture. It’s important.
Typically, we begin teaching handwriting by guiding learners through tracing exercises. But before we even approach tracing, we need to consider the foundational behaviors required to handle a writing, drawing, or painting utensil effectively.
This week, I writing on a few practical strategies, gleaned from BxMastery's resources, for introducing young learners to writing utensils. We’ll explore the initial steps to acquaint a child with a pencil or crayon, focusing on the critical component behaviors that set the stage for more complex tasks like coloring, painting, drawing, and tracing. The question is not just about teaching them to pick up a utensil and use it, but to engage with than item in imitation and listener responding situations.
As always, you have to start from the start: component skills. Which component skills, or pre-requisites, are necessary for using a writing utensil effectively? First, it should be noted that a key skill in this process is general dexterity—the ability of the learner to comfortably hold a utensil and engage in simple pointing actions. If your learner is still developing in this area, it might be beneficial to consult with an Occupational Therapist for guidance on enhancing their fine motor skills. However, if they already possess the basic dexterity needed, the next step is to evaluate their imitation repertoire.
The ability to imitate fine motor actions is a crucial precursor to successfully using writing instruments. The screenshot below, taken from BxMastery, illustrates a list of component skill areas that your learner should ideally be proficient in before moving forward. These skills serve as the building blocks for more complex tasks involving writing utensils. If your learner demonstrates ease in imitating the fine motor actions listed (as shown in the screenshot below), it’s a good indicator that they are ready to progress to imitating actions with writing tools. It’s important to note that each of these skill areas is hyperlinked to corresponding target ideas, providing a structured pathway to build upon these foundational skills.
Once you've confirmed that your learner possesses the necessary component skills, you're likely ready to introduce the first stages of teaching them how to use a writing utensil. The sequence below starts with teaching the learner to imitate basic writing actions using their finger. These basic actions are pretty darn basic. A dot, a line, and a scribble. Gradually, this process evolves, transitioning from finger movements to incorporating the utensil itself. It should also be noted that in the photo below one would be able to click the “triangle” toggle icon and BxMastery then provides a drop down of the exact steps for your RBTs for running each of these targets listed.
Additionally, the skill of writing dovetails neatly with other areas you may be targeting in your teaching. Concurrently targeting other skill areas, some of which might already be mastered, can effectively complement the teaching of imitation with a writing utensil. Below, you’ll see that a little extra practice with targets related to fine motor imitation and imitation with multi-functional objects might expedite the mastery process for imitation with writing utensils. As is often the case, each of these skill areas is hyperlinked with a comprehensive list of specific targets.
Finally, once your kiddo gains fluency with a few of these basic imitation skills with a writing utensil, the doors (potentially) are blown open on where to go next. For example: you can pursue the first stages of handwriting, such as tracing, and then delve into crayons and coloring, and even into some of the fundamentals of drawing. As you can see below, these targets are “coming soon” for these areas.
Let me know what you think! What are some ways you’ve taught into to writing and drawing? What target ideas do you want to see “coming soon” to BxMastery, or highlighted in Flatrock Weekly?