Writing: Empowering Literacy

Writing activities are an essential part of quality literacy practices in early care and education settings. As children communicate through writing, they learn important concepts about books and other forms of print in the world around them, including writing and alphabet systems. Young children best understand and appreciate writing when it is part of a meaningful social context. In this article, the authors describe how early care and education teachers can provide opportunities for children to write and discuss the five factors that teachers should keep in mind when planning writing opportunities for children. These include: (1) children's understanding of writing; (2) the interconnections of writing and drawing; (3) integrating writing into multiple activities and supporting broader literacy development through a writing-friendly environment; (4) adult support for writing development; and (5) writing activities that support the home-school connection.