Why oral language is the key to learning to write

Back when I was moderating the early years foundation stage profile, a fellow moderator told me about a pupil who perfectly summed up the challenges that early years practitioners face when trying to teach children how to write.

(Image generated by AI)

The pupil was 5 years old, and had written a few words in his book to describe his weekend.

Underneath, his teacher had written: “Can you write some more?” His reply, filling the whole page: “Noooooooooooooooooooo”.

That “no” has stayed with me, not just because it made me laugh, but because it reminds me how crucial motivation and readiness are in young children’s learning journeys, especially with a skill like writing.

Read on (£) in TES