Writing readiness skills are the fundamental skills children needed to develop before they are able to write. Early fine motor writing skills are quickly becoming recognised as an important school readiness skill associated with later academic success, according to Dinehart and Manfra (2013).This is the ability to hold and use a pencil, and the ability draw, write, copy, and colour contributes to the writing skills of the child. Writing readiness is the major component of writing readiness skill comprised in letters, numbers, shapes and early drawings due to the different pencil strokes they have. As a kindergarten teacher, we are always confronted with pupils who are afraid to hold and scribble their pencils because they do not know what stroke they will employ.
There are those who cry because they do not know how to follow the given activity because they cannot write at all. There are those who begin to create noise to alleviate their ignorance in writing. Sometimes they distract their classmates who are writing to divert their attention. There are those who patiently wait for their classmate to finish their work and ask for their assistance or waited for their mother to help them. They also shouted for the teacher in order to catch attention. Various scenarios happen in kindergarten specifically during writing periods when short behavioural problems arise as pupils have different backgrounds, experiences, and level of developments.
Problems are created when the child is not ready for writing. This may be behavioural such as when they avoid or refuse to participate in pencil and other fine motor tasks. Self-esteem problem arises when they compare their work against that of their peers. Academic performance problems occur when they find it more difficult and be slower in completing their tasks, contributing to slower skills acquisition. Self-care problem happens when they fail to master independence in everyday life activities such as dressing, eating, cleaning teeth, brushing hair. Avoidance is displayed when they prefer to get others to perform fine motor tasks for them under their direction, rather than actually doing themselves.
Who is to be blamed if the child does not know how to write: the teacher, parent or the institution? No one but everyone contributes to the writing skills development of every child. On the part of the kindergarten teachers, they need not deviate from the curricula in teaching handwriting because this is a major skill that needs to be developed which affects their whole life. Kindergarten teachers view themselves as providing students with the appropriate school behaviours that will assist them in being successful as they begin their school careers (Huey-Ling (2003). Parents are to encourage their child to write or scribble to avoid problems produced in the poor writing of the child.
By CRISANTA D.UEDA
