Mark Making

The value of mark making

It’s fun, simple and it is literally as it sounds: children make random marks using a range of materials or instruments such as paint, sand,etc. Mark making usually happens before children learn to hold a pencil and write their own names, or as the professionals say, mark making is a precursor to writing.

Evidently, it is an important stage of development, and one which can begin as early as six to eight months of age. All it takes is a wet rusk and a highchair and baby will soon be entranced at the marks she makes as she rubs it all over the tray of her highchair. At this stage, in addition to enjoying herself, she is also learning that she can make marks using her hands and an object.

In this early phase, she is developing important hand-eye coordination skills, and fine manipulative abilities through this fun activity. Both of which are needed for writing to progress at a later stage.

As children develop, they should be given a range of opportunities to experiment with mark making, for example, finger painting on a table. Or try coloured sand in a shallow tray: you could have one tray with dry sand, and the other with wet sand for different mark making effects. Try coloured water in the water tray to encourage children to make swirling effects with their fingers.

It is really important not to force children to hold pencils before they are ready to do so. The pincer grip, which is a way of holding a pencil, is quite a difficult task for many young children to master. Children develop in individual ways, and they will be able to hold the pencil in this way in their own time. Never force this as this could have a detrimental effect on their later development.

Chubby crayons, chunky pens and pencils with lots of paper will be of great use to a child as they move from the toddler stage. For example, at three or four years of age, you can place these in the home corner for children to make ‘shopping lists’. Painting at an easel; threading activities; and clay modelling are all activities that help children to develop essential pre-writing skills.

Always offer lots of praise whenever he draws anything but never ask what it is. Of course, that should be obvious to you, if not, you could diplomatically ask a child to tell you about their picture.

Eventually, a child will proudly state the green squiggle you see on a page is actually his own name. At this stage, he is beginning to attach meaning to his marks, which is another important stage of writing development.

This phase is hugely enjoyable and rewarding for children and should not be rushed in an effort to get a child to hold a pencil and write letters. Let them enjoy the phase and when they are ready, the rest will follow.

"Too often we give our children answers to remember rather than problems to solve."