benefits of writing skills article

Writing enables the external storage of information that can be represented symbolically (e.g., letters, num-bers, words, formulas drawings) and which can then be analyzed, critiqued, reproduced, and transformed, among other potential actions (Donald, 1991; Menary, 2007). Getting important ideas down alleviates the stress of losing your thoughts to time or an overcrowded mind. Fisher Center For Alzheimer’s Research Foundation. 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Writing helps eliminate “it sounded good in my head” by forcing your hand; brains forgive fuzzy abstractions, prose does not. Your child will need the fine motor strength these activities provide in order to have good pre-writing lines and later good letter formations. It seems like the key is to reflect and write about gratitude regularly, but not begrudgingly often. This is a resource page on the basics of pre-writing activities and skills for kids ages 2-6. They may compensate by moving their whole trunk to reach toward the opposite side. – Heavy work ideas. Even blogging “undoubtedly affords similar benefits” to private expressive writing in terms of therapeutic value. You can read more about me by clicking here. As you develop your career you will find various reasons why successful communication skills are important to you, for example: To secure an interview. Dr. James Pennebaker, author of Writing to Heal has seen improved immune function in participants of writing exercises. As a baby begins to explore the world around them through rolling, crawling, and standing, they are building those strong core muscles for future fine motor tasks. It seems that timing is critical for expressive writing to have an impact. Academic writing serves as communication tool for conveying acquired knowledge in a specific field of study. And if you struggle with stress, depression, or anxiety, keeping a journal is a great idea. 20 Productive Ways to Use the Time, How to Take Notes: 3 Effective Note-Taking Techniques, 20 Time Management Tips to Super Boost Your Productivity, How to Overcome Procrastination and Start Doing What Truly Matters. Writing. There's also a great resource from OT Mom with more Bilateral Coordination activities. It can help you gain … Even in the face of criticism, writers learn to build thick skins like few others. – Climbing a rock wall fckInited7bc=!1; In most cases, writing is most useful as a tool for thinking, expression, and creativity; cabin-dwelling novelists be damned. Customer service, learnings, and product updates, Customer service insights, organized by theme, Deep dives spanning the customer lifecycle, Live and recorded sessions with industry experts. If you were to draw a line down the middle of your body, starting at the head, that is your midline. Each skill builds on one another and you need all them for great handwriting skills. Simply being a curator of good ideas encourages deeper thinking, research, and “heading down the rabbit hole” in order to find unique takes on topics that matter to you. Join 251,101 customer-obsessed readers on our mailing list. Some benefits of working on pre-writing skills include: Promoting proper hand grasp/pencil grasp on objects used in hands-on activities (such as tongs, paint brushes, grasping objects, etc). We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Pre-Writing skills are needed before any letter formation or other handwriting skills are mastered. This goes hand-in-hand with the expansion of your vocabulary: Exposure to published, well-written work has a noted effect on one’s own writing, as observing the cadence, fluidity, and writing styles of other authors will invariably influence your own work. Every time you cross that line with either side of your body, that is crossing midline. Find out the benefits of writing by hand for your body and brain. Being able to flesh out thoughts in your mind only to have them come stumbling out when you speak is supremely frustrating. – Yoga for kids (Great Yoga ideas from a pediatric Physical Therapist). document.addEventListener('scroll',function(){if(window.scrollY>333)loadCK7bc()}), Growing Hands-On Kids, LLC 2020. If all else fails, remember this joke from Mitch Hedberg: “I sit at my hotel at night, I think of something that’s funny, then I go get a pen and I write it down. 8. But the concept and its benefits still apply. There’s a bit of a creative shock the first time someone emails you, thanking you for the work you’ve put out and sharing how it has helped or influenced them. In order for your child to be able to successfully complete pre-writing skills, there needs to be some ground-work. Let’s look at some of the benefits of making writing a regular habit. – Swimming Startup “The fewer words you use, the better.” Yes, you read it right. Visual motor skills need the eyes in order to visually guide the movement of the hands or legs. Let’s look at some of the benefits of making writing a regular habit. This ebook takes an in-depth look at the developmental sequence of pre-writing lines and why they are an important part of the foundations for handwriting skills. 1. Feel free to add your own ideas in the comments. When you learn these basic research skills, you will begin to see that these skills are not just useful in a classroom. There are many skills kids need in order to complete these lines and shapes appropriately, however, so let's look at some of those now. function loadCK7bc(){if(fckInited7bc)return;fckInited7bc=!0;console.log('load convertkit popup 7bc3dfda50'); Prose is thought put to page, which makes all of us writers, even if we don’t have the chops to tangle with Faulkner. Uppercase Muscle Mover Cards| Muscle Mover Cards from Fundanoodle. – Playing on the playground This concept of having a “writer’s ear” never fully clicked with me until I started writing regularly. Working on left to right pre-writing lines/shapes and letter formations, Finger dexterity and strength needed for handwriting assignments, Bilateral coordination in the hands to be able to hold the paper and write at the same time, Crossing midline and choosing a dominant hand for handwriting tasks. When you attempt to envision a writer, I imagine many of you see a quirky recluse, hunched over a desk in some cabin, crumpled paper strewn about as they obsessively work on the next great American novel. In both emotional intelligence and in hard sciences like mathematics, writing has been shown to help people communicate highly complex ideas more effectively. How to Increase Brain Power, Boost Memory and Become 10X Smarter, Can’t Focus? Fortunately, regular writing seems to offer some reprieve. Committing to creating a volume of work also allows you to tackle big ideas more effectively. You can see how this is a very important skill not only for pre-writing lines, but handwriting in general. It's simply writing down your thoughts and feelings to understand them more clearly. Don’t worry about the length of your article besides this you should keep in mind that you’re writing this article for developing your skills of writing which can help you many people in the future to develop the same for themselves. In one study that followed recently fired engineers, the researchers found that those engineers who consistently engaged with expressive writing were able to find another job faster. Check out my brand new ebook, The Basics of Pre-Writing Skills for Kids. Some benefits of working on pre-writing skills include: If you notice your child struggling with certain parts of their handwriting skills, first remember that most children are not ready to properly hold a pencil or form letters after age 5. Connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn. I use my background to share child development tips, tools, and strategies through hands-on activities. Have your child try each pre-writing line and shape to see if any of them give them trouble. Yoga ideas from a pediatric Physical Therapist, 10 Crossing Midline Activities for Toddlers, OT Mom with more Bilateral Coordination activities, properly hold a pencil or form letters after age 5, 10 Hands-On Ways to Work on Pre-Writing Lines, Circle Tray and Sensory Bin for Pre-Writing Practice, 12 Fun Ways to Practice Handwriting with Kids, Glitter Glue Pre-Writing Line Practice for Preschoolers, Back to School Pre-Writing Line & Scissor Packet, On The Farm Pre-Writing Packet for Preschoolers, Basic Shapes for Beginners, a Hands-On Approach to Pre-Writing Strokes for Kids, The Basics of Pre-Writing Skills for Kids, 5 Tips for Correcting Your Child's Pencil Grasp, Typical Fine Motor Developmental Milestones for Ages 0-6, How to Improve Handwriting Skills for Kids. document.addEventListener('mousemove',loadCK7bc); Vertical Line – (Age 2 imitates, age 3 copies/masters), Horizontal Line – (Age 2 1/2 imitates, age 3 copies/masters), Circle Shape – (Age 2 1/2 imitates, 3 copies/masters), Cross Shape (+) – (Age 3 1/2 imitates, age 4 copies), A strong neck in order to keep the head upright, Strong shoulders in order to facilitate arm and wrist movements, Your child may actually “get stuck” in mid-reach and have to switch hands to continue. In order for the fine motor movements needed for handwriting to develop, a child needs to have a solid base of support, which means strong gross motor skills and movements. Technology has become so prevalent in our lives that it is almost impossible to get anything done without the help of a computer. Focus on mastering those first before moving on to letter formations. As the authors of one study noted, subjects who reflected on the good things in their life once a week by writing them down were more positive and motivated about their current situations and their futures. Without a doubt, the positive feedback for this “leadership at scale” leads to gratitude and further motivation for the writer. Connect with other writers and help each other edit drafts by joining our (free) Slack community.We encourage you to join Medium today to have complete access to all of the great locked content on The Writing Cooperative and all the locked content published across Medium. For more details, please read our website terms of use and policy page. It will depend on the child, some may be earlier, some later. Follow Heather | Growing Hands-On Kids's board Handwriting Skills and Activities on Pinterest. – Rolling down a hill In short, pre-writing skills are the lines and strokes kids need to master and know BEFORE learning how to print the alphabet. Writing might be beneficial to cognitive skills because it re- Information often sticks better when it’s learned as though it needs to be taught or re-written in your own words. One participant noted, “Although I have not talked with anyone about what I wrote, I was finally able to deal with it, work through the pain instead of trying to block it out. Says Adam Grant: According to an older study, writing about traumatic events actually made the participants more depressed, until about 6 months later, when the emotional benefits started to stick. You can also develop these skills to help you at: Work. When you think about the way a baby develops, what typically tends to develop first, fine motor or gross motor skills? Particularly working on the pincer grasp will be helpful for future handwriting skills. The Writing Cooperative is a community of people helping each other write better. Developing writing skills can help you strengthen your ability to make reasoned arguments on a variety of subjects, which is useful in school and on the job. read our website terms of use and policy page. Sign-up to receive my 9-day sensory processing email series and get this 8 sensory systems handout in English & Spanish! Visual motor skills include visual perceptual skills, functional visual skills (such as eye tracking), and eye-hand coordination. Stress often comes from emotional blockages, and overthinking hypotheticals. Crossing midline is a skill that children can learn from infancy. I’ve read books, listened to podcasts/radio, and watched videos I would normally have put off in order to learn something new so that I might write about later. There’s a certain discipline required to create interesting written work that demands the individual be receptive and focused on finding new sources of information, inspiration, and insight. Promoting proper hand grasp/pencil grasp on objects used in hands-on activities (such as tongs, paint brushes, grasping objects, etc). Now it’s called journaling. – Crawling through tunnels (this is ours from IKEA) Many of us do this without thinking about it (i.e. var s=document.createElement('script');s.async=true;s.onload=function(){};s.src='//growing-hands-on-kids-llc.ck.page/7bc3dfda50/index.js'; The ability to leave an impact at scale through your words alone is an astounding concept. s.setAttribute('data-uid','7bc3dfda50');document.head.appendChild(s) Hand manipulation skills needed to pick up and put down a pencil, plus moving a pencil to form letters across the paper. You can get my Pre-Writing Skills Checklist to help assess which pre-writing lines your child has mastered and which ones they need to continue to work on. My name is Heather and I’m a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with experience in school-based Occupational Therapy. We’re telling stories of companies spearheading a more thoughtful way of doing business, while showing the world you can be successful without sacrificing your values. typing on the computer, skipping, or holding a piece of paper down while writing). Now it doesn’t hurt to think about it.”. There are many fun ways to encourage strong core muscles with your toddlers and preschoolers… here are some I've thought of. Visual motor skills include the ability for the brain to understand and communicate from the eyes to the hands in order to draw, copy, and trace what you see. Crossing midline skills are part of this as well. You may not alter or reuse text/content, photos/graphics, or videos in any way (print or digital use) without express written consent from Heather Greutman. Or if the pen’s too far away, I have to convince myself that what I thought of ain’t funny.”. If you answered gross motor skills, then you are correct! } But writing is so much more. So what does it look like if your child is having difficulty crossing midline? Go back to the core strength and gross motor skills needed to promote good pre-writing and handwriting skills. It therefore features a serious tone … Particularly working on the pincer grasp will be helpful for future handwriting skills. Much of the research on writing and happiness deals with “expressive writing,” or jotting down what you think and how you feel. All Rights Reserved. Poor mid-line crossing will affect how your child reads (tracking with the eye from left to right) and writes (using the dominant hand across the writing page). Here are some additional resources on visual motor skills: Working on pre-writing skills (lines and strokes) in hands-on ways will naturally develop your child's fine motor skills and provide them with the well-rounded handwriting skills they need for letter formation, line orientation, spacing, and hand grasp. Sign-up for my weekly child development newsletter and receive this free fine motor checklist for ages 0-6. These cards include all 26 letters of the alphabet with an animal movement on one side with the corresponding letter for tracing or using with hands-on tools on the other side. Writing gives form to your ideas and gets them out of your head, freeing up bandwidth and preventing you from crashing your browser like a late night downward spiral on Wikipedia. You can also follow my Handwriting Skills and Activities Pinterest board below. But writing is so much more. Have you ever had too many Internet tabs open at once? The catch was, when they wrote about them every day, the benefits were minimal. – Peanut ball activities Welcome to Growing Hands-On Kids! This makes sense; any activity can feel disingenuous and just plain boring if done too often. Improved Communication Skills Improving your reading and writing skills also goes hand in hand with developing your communication skills. Each of these lines is developed in a sequence, based on how old the child is. Expressive writing is a route to healing -- emotionally, physically, and psychologically. Though the world may now be drowning under the personal brand deluge, there are sincerely interesting opportunities that an “anyone can publish” world brings about. Expressive writing has also been linked to improved mood, well-being, and reduced stress levels for those who do it regularly, says Adam Grant: Laziness with words creates difficulty in describing feelings, sharing experiences, and communicating with others. Prose is thought put to page, which makes all of us writers, even if we don’t have the chops to tangle with Faulkner. When your brain has too many tabs open at once, it’s often the result of trying to mentally juggle too many thoughts at the same time. 10X Smarter, can ’ t focus new ebook, the better. ” Yes, read... Letters across the paper in a specific field of study activities on Pinterest or anxiety, keeping journal... Writing, speaking and listening skills are mastered, when they wrote about them every,. To be mastered need to master and know before learning how to print the.! Unwarranted, is the Muscle Mover Cards| Muscle Mover Cards from Fundanoodle of use policy. Also develop these skills to help you at: Work need all them for great skills... I started writing regularly look at some of the hands or legs,! Assistant with experience in school-based Occupational Therapy fewer words you use, the basics of pre-writing are!, some may be earlier, some later “ undoubtedly affords similar benefits ” private... Key is to reflect and write about gratitude regularly, but handwriting in general you! Eye-Hand Coordination who are obsessed with delivering great customer service out my brand new ebook, basics! Does not greg is a great resource from OT Mom with more Bilateral Coordination activities 's to... Your mind only to have an impact skills include visual perceptual skills, functional visual skills ( as. Writing might be beneficial to cognitive skills because it re- Find out the benefits were minimal the writer midline., what typically tends to develop first, fine motor or gross motor skills include visual perceptual,... It ’ s look at some of you probably have questions about handwriting in general with delivering customer... Specific field of study moving a pencil to form letters across the paper order for your child try pre-writing! Astounding concept have your child to be mastered do in the comments and writing skills also goes in... Everything you do in the face of criticism, even unwarranted, is the Muscle Cards. Compensate by moving their whole trunk to reach toward the opposite side feel disingenuous and just plain boring done! Such as tongs, paint brushes, grasping objects, etc ) it! For the writer without thinking about it ( i.e Pinterest board below too! Or anxiety, keeping a journal is a writer, marketing strategist and of. Brushes, grasping objects, etc ) from emotional blockages, and overthinking hypotheticals conveying acquired knowledge in a,! Back to the core strength and gross motor skills include visual perceptual skills, visual! In general skills for kids ages 2-6 is below my head ” by forcing your hand ; forgive... The benefits of making writing a regular habit your words alone is an astounding concept builds on one and..., depression, or holding a piece of paper down while writing ) pre-writing! To ensure that we give you the best experience on our website activities and is... Cabin-Dwelling novelists be damned Memory and become 10X Smarter, can ’ t hurt to think about the way baby. Me until I started writing regularly writing serves as communication tool for thinking, expression, and overthinking.. And I ’ m a Certified Occupational Therapy communication skills Improving your reading and writing skills goes... Build thick skins like few others of having a “ writer ’ look... So what does it look like if your child to be some.! Can read more about me by clicking here such as eye tracking ), and creativity ; cabin-dwelling be. Have an impact at scale through your words alone is an astounding concept a volume of also... The core strength and gross motor skills I mentioned first before moving on to formations... My weekly child development tips, tools, and psychologically build thick skins like few others and handwriting.! What typically tends to develop first, fine motor strength these activities provide in to. 'S important to focus on all the gross motor skills include visual perceptual skills there! Function in participants of writing to have them come stumbling out when you think about ”. Healing -- emotionally, physically, and eye-hand Coordination of these lines is in! Activities on Pinterest come stumbling out when you speak is supremely frustrating it re- Find out the of. Some later many of us do this without thinking about it ( i.e at the head, that is midline! Each other write better 8 sensory systems handout in English & Spanish hand grasp/pencil on! A journal is a skill that children can learn from infancy to visually guide the movement of benefits. Does not the breakfast of champions brand new ebook, the benefits of writing by hand your. ( i.e 's board handwriting skills and activities Pinterest board below pick up and put down a pencil, moving... Of making writing a regular habit earlier, some may be earlier, some may be,. Builds on one another and you need all them for great handwriting skills understand them more clearly encourage strong muscles... What typically tends to develop first, fine motor or gross motor skills, functional skills! By clicking here with your toddlers and preschoolers… here are some I 've thought of brushes grasping. Objects, etc ) use cookies to ensure that we give you best! The fewer words you use, the better. ” Yes, you read it right more... Words you use, the basics of pre-writing activities and skills for kids ages 2-6 and... Done too often few others simply writing down your thoughts and feelings to understand more. And get this 8 sensory systems handout in English & Spanish speak is supremely frustrating a. To creating a volume of Work also allows you to tackle big ideas more effectively,. Important to focus on all the gross motor skills, then you correct! Uppercase Muscle Mover Cards from Fundanoodle I know some of the hands or legs motor strength these activities in. ’ m a Certified Occupational Therapy to have an impact losing your thoughts feelings. You do in the face of criticism, writers learn to build thick like. To letter formations Internet tabs open at once from OT Mom with more Bilateral Coordination activity ideas for your.... Become so prevalent in our lives that it is almost impossible to get anything without... Need the fine motor strength these activities provide in order to visually guide the movement of the or! Simply writing down your thoughts to time or an overcrowded mind can read more about by! Is developed in a sequence, based on how old the child, some may be earlier, may! Skills ( such as tongs, paint brushes, grasping objects, etc ) skills Improving your reading and skills. Give you the best experience on our website terms of use and policy.... Motor or gross motor skills needed to pick up and put down a pencil to form letters across paper! Were to draw a line down the middle of your body, starting at head! And further motivation for the writer back to benefits of writing skills article core strength and gross motor I. You are correct core muscles with your toddlers and preschoolers… here are Bilateral... Communication skills Improving your reading and writing skills also goes hand in hand with your... Your words alone is an astounding concept, can ’ t hurt to think about the way baby! Midline skills are needed before any letter formation or other handwriting skills before expecting fine skills! Body, starting at the head, that is crossing midline volume of Work also allows you tackle. Without a doubt, the basics of pre-writing activities and skills for kids of therapeutic value be and... Leave an impact of writing to have them come stumbling out when you about... Skills need the fine motor or gross motor skills include visual perceptual skills, functional visual skills ( such eye..., or holding a piece of paper down while writing ) starting at the head, that is midline! In both emotional intelligence and in hard sciences like mathematics, writing is most useful as a for... Going to be completed and goals achieved affords similar benefits ” to private expressive writing is skill... Developed in a sequence, based on how old the child, some may be earlier, later... Visually guide the movement of the benefits were minimal by moving their whole to. You at: Work 's also a great idea communication tool for conveying acquired knowledge in sequence! Eliminate “ it sounded good in my head ” by forcing your hand ; brains forgive fuzzy abstractions, does... Sign-Up to receive my 9-day sensory processing email series and get this 8 sensory systems handout in English Spanish! To build thick skins like few others stress of losing your thoughts to time or an overcrowded mind motivation! Activities provide in order to have them come stumbling out when you speak is frustrating! The computer, skipping, or anxiety, keeping a journal is a resource page on the computer,,. First before moving on to letter formations there are many fun ways to encourage strong core muscles with toddlers. With more Bilateral Coordination activity ideas for your kids be able to successfully complete pre-writing are. Undoubtedly affords similar benefits ” to private expressive writing in terms of use and policy page one of favorite... In the face of criticism, writers learn to build thick skins like few others Pennebaker, author of exercises! Of writing to Heal has seen improved immune function in participants of writing exercises,. To see if any of them give them trouble a very important not! To creating a volume of Work also allows you to tackle big ideas effectively. Find out the benefits of making writing a regular habit begrudgingly often we give you the best experience on website... Hard sciences like mathematics, writing has been shown to help people communicate complex.

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