SPACE to SOW and GROW - Learning to Write

I am inspired today to blog about "Learning to Write" as I am amazed at my 5 year old daughter and her progress in handwriting.  

My lovely Seraphina girl has been really enjoying grabbing a pencil and paper lately (or anything that could substitute) and is beginning to write letters.  She holds the pencil "correctly", holds her tongue just right and goes about crafting a story, a menu, a love note or whatever inspires her to write.  At the moment she is writing the letters "A B H i S o P e E T" - to make up words and sentences.

What I find so intriguing is that she has never once had a lesson on how to write a single letter of the alphabet and only 3 weeks ago her writing was of the zigzag variety.  Lines and lines of up down up down, repetitively down the page.  This appears, to the untrained eye, as scribbles.  However, being classically trained in 5 year old manuscript I knew precisely the message that was being delivered. ;)

We knew Seraphina was beginning to recognise letters as she would shout out if she saw an "S" and say "That's in my name!!".

She knows the alphabet song, we've read some alphabet books (not many) and apart from the letter "S" she hasn't really been into wanting to know what the names of the letters are.  Now when she writes a letter she asks, "What did I write Mum?".  I let her know what the letter is and she is over the moon to know she is writing REAL letters!!  Such a joy to watch her learn this way.

So from observing letters in their natural habitat.. in books, on signs, on tv/games.. everywhere!.. Seraphina is remembering the structure of the letter and copying it down.  Just as she did in the past with basic shapes like the circle, square and triangle.

People comment that unschooling is an organic way of learning and it truly is.  It's wonderful how different skills and experiences unfold by simply traveling through life. Each popping up at the precise moment it is needed.  

josephinewall.co.uk

The more I think about rote learning and other conventional early learning methods, the more I feel blessed to be able to allow my children the freedom to learn at their own pace, in their own way.  

Forcing a child to learn how to read and write, when they have no interest to do so, is like force feeding them to eat.  It might go in the right hole and down the right tube but will most likely never be absorbed optimally and quite possibly will be rejected altogether.

Trusting our children to intuitively know when they are ready (if at all) to grasp a new skill, is one of the best gifts a parent can give.  

Just as we sat back and waited for them to take their first step and speak their first word, it is equally important to wait for their own internal desire to read and write, ignite.  Reading and writing will then only ever come from a place of purpose and pleasure.  After all, that was it's intention in the beginning.

mesopotamia.co.uk

I'd like to share Wade's writing journey with you as it had a very interesting and somewhat bizarre beginning. At this minute I have a very sleepy, little one needing my attention, so this will have to wait until next time..

Thanks for reading friends.

Much Love

Angel x