The early writing skills of children identified as at-risk for literacy difficulties

In this study, we comprehensively assessed the early writing skills of 3- to 5.5-year old children (n = 128) to characterize the writing of young children identified as at-risk for later literacy difficulties and to compare the early writing skills of these children to their non-at risk peers. Results indicated that children who are considered at-risk for later literacy difficulties lag behind their peers in a range of early writing skills, including name writing, letter writing, invented spelling, and story composition in preschool. Findings also suggest that early literacy screeners may identify children experiencing writing difficulties in addition to early reading challenges. Given the burgeoning ability of preschool-aged children, practical implications are discussed.
Source: Early Childhood Research Quarterly - Category: Child Development Source Type: research