By Eileen Allpress in conversation with Anni McTavish.
Eileen Allpress is the Research Lead for the East of England Stronger Practice Hub with over 30 years’ experience in education. She has been a Headteacher, SENDCo and has facilitated a range of Professional Development sessions.
Anni McTavish is a freelance consultant and presenter with over thirty years’ experience in the field of early education. She has been a practitioner, deputy, and manager of an early years setting, and facilitated many different training sessions, workshops, and creative projects.
Research shared in the Early Years Evidence Store (EEFS) under the Early Literacy theme (EYES/EL) clearly demonstrates that effective strategies for encouraging mark making and developing letter formation can significantly boost young children's literacy outcomes. For our very youngest children, this evidence suggests that practitioners should initially concentrate on equipping them with the appropriate tools and resources to support spontaneous mark making, gradually progressing toward formal early writing instruction in the reception year. Crucially, enabling young children to become successful writers requires early years practitioners to understand the small, sequential steps of physical development and the direct links to mark making. This is strongly supported by the research evidence in the Early Years Evidence Store's Physical Development theme (EYES/PD). Given this connection, a next step is to reflect on is where and when children in your setting can access these resources to nurture their mark-making skills. Evidence further suggests that integrating these skills into a broader, connected programme is more effective than teaching them in isolation (EYES/EL). It is therefore essential to consider the layout of your early years space (both indoors and outdoors) and resources that are accessible to provide these vital opportunities, keeping each child’s current developmental stage in mind.
What are the developmental stages linked to mark making?
When children first begin mark making they are not necessarily doing it to convey meaning but because they can!
Which muscles they use depends on their stage of development. It is important that practitioners know these developmental stages to support each child appropriately and impactfully.
Most children follow the same developmental sequence, so once you assess where they are you can provide appropriate provision to support and extend them.
These are
Shoulder pivot-
Children use their upper body muscles when making emergent mark making Often the child will have a stiff wrist and straight elbow, with most movement coming from the shoulder.
Marks made are usually long and straight or circular
Children using this are employing the full range of motion so will need space.
Activities to support these:
Washing walls with soap and brushes
Painting with mops
Elbow pivot
When the upper body muscles strengthen, there starts to be more arm movement, at the elbow
Activities to support these:
Pulling up their bodies on ropes or a climbing wall
Ribbon and scarf twirling
Wrist pivot
As the arm muscles and the sense of balance improves, the pivot moves to the wrist.
The elbow often tucks into the side of the body. They have more limited movement. Often with a wrist pivot the child’s grip changes to a tripod grip.
Activities to support these:
Threading
Sewing
Alongside this physical development, they also need a huge range of experiences to help them grow in imagination, gain quality vocabulary and confidence.
Anni McTavish firmly believes that we need to help the child on the journey to be a confident writer, we need to feed their imagination, share a good selection of carefully curated stories as well as provide as many opportunities as possible to mark make.
This aligns with the research findings show that practitioners should consider teaching mark making alongside other literacy skills ( EYES/EL). This will give the practitioner the opportunity to use a range of practices to help the child develop the understanding that writing is a way of communicating to different audiences.
What does the evidence say? How can practitioners support children with their mark making skills?
There are key principles which have been identified within effective practice, which are supported by evidence ( EYES/EL)
These are:
Preparing. The adult prepares the child for mark making by providing opportunities to engage in fine and gross motor opportunities.
Modelling- The practitioner works alongside the child modelling how to use the resource and sharing ideas as to how further extend the child’s skills. The practitioner can explain when using paintbrushes how to make different strokes, for example.
Scaffolding- The practitioner supports the child in further developing their skills. For example, if they see a child is using vertical brush strokes suggest they can add some horizontal lines
Feedback. The practitioner can give positive feedback to help the child build confidence when using new or different resources.
Intentional adult-child interaction—A practitioner observes a child using mark making and takes the opportunity to discuss their marks to establish meaning. For example, if they see a child marking making on a picture they could discuss what the child was writing.
The EYES themes all have a vignette section where you are able to see these skills in practice. They are easily accessible and clearly illustrate how these approaches translate into practice.
What are the key takeaways?
Teaching mark making can positively impact children’s literacy outcomes.
The practitioner is crucial to supporting this using the key principles shared to support a child’s development.
A child needs a wide range of experiences to support this developmental process.
Reflective Questions
In your provision what opportunities are available for the following:
- indoor/outdoor
- large and small scale
- vertical and horizontal surfaces
- new or novel activities?
Want to find out more?
Suggested on line resources
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/literacy-early-years
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/evidence-store/physical-development
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/evidence-store