Pre-writing

Written language constitutes a basic form of communication in our society. For this reason, writing skills are a primary focus of the child's early schooling.Unfortunately, the prerequisites of fine motor development, which are essential to ensure a successful initial writing experience, have been overlooked by many preschool programs. For this reason, the LAP includes a separate section of pre-writing behaviors which should be observed for effective individualization. These behaviors address the stages of grasping writing instruments, the role of finger and easel painting, and a hierarchy of pre-writing skills for appropriate developmental levels.

1 year	1. Marks with pencil
18 months	2. Scribbles spontaneously
2 years	3. Imitates vertical line
	4. Imitates horizontal line
	5. Imitates V stroke
	6. Imitates circular stroke
30 months	7. Finger paints using whole hand
	8. Paints lines, dots, circular shapes
	9. Holds pencil with thumb and fingers instead of fist
	10. Imitates H stroke
3 years	11. Copies circle
	12. Imitates cross
	13. Copies V
	14. Copies H
	15. Copies T
42 months	16. Finger paints using fingers and whole hand
	17. Paints unrecognizable "picture"
	18. Traces diamond-shaped pathway
4 years	19. Holds paper in place with other hand while writing
	20. Finger paints using fingers, hands, and arms
	21. Holds paint brush with thumb and fingers instead of fist
	22. Copies cross
	23. Draws person with 2 body parts
54 months	24. Copies square
	25. Copies simple word
5 years	26. Paints recognizable picture
	27. Copies triangle
	28. Draws simple house
	29. Draws recognizable person with 6-7 body parts
	30. Copies first name
66 months	31. Copies rectangle with diagonals
	32. Prints first name
	33. Writes Numerals 1-9
6 years	34. Copies Diamond
	35. Prints first and last name
	36. Writes numerals 1-19

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