Practice at writing should go hand in hand with children's learning how to read, says Lena Engel
When young children view letters and words, they see them as symbols: pictures that are a collection of shapes. In fact, written English to children is similar to hieroglyphics, or Chinese scripts as viewed by adults. Children require a great deal of support and daily practice to begin to decipher and attempt to write in English or to read it. Practitioners therefore should:
Alphabet table
Emphasise initial sounds to focus children's attention on the alphabet. Every week, set up a table of objects that begin with a particular letter. Use interesting objects, including those from other cultures, and label each one using lower-case letters.
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