PREGRAPHISM: WHAT IT IS AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR CHILDREN

You have a child who attends kindergarten and you notice that something is changing in his drawings: the figures become closed and he is more interested in the words on the books. It is part of his growing process that will lead him to be able to write. It's always nice to see the little ones growing up, but be careful how you fit technology into their path. Watch the video of our expert to know how to use it correctly.

Pregraphism: what it is

Parents with 4-5 year old children begin to wonder if it is appropriate to bring them closer to writing and reading; a little earlier than the start of primary school. How come so early?
In reality there is nothing so anticipated, because it is precisely around the age of 4 that children begin to develop a certain curiosity towards symbols and the alphabet: it is a physiological interest that is part of their growth.
By nature, children are very curious and at this age, typical of kindergarten, they begin to wonder the meaning of things, including the use of letters. What will those lines printed on books be for?

Pre-graphism does nothing but help children to develop fine motor skills in the best possible way, which will evolve into writing shortly after. Writing is therefore the next step after pre-writing and it would be a shame to preclude them from these very important activities to make them arrive safely in first grade.
Obviously, the inclination of the individual child must be taken into account: someone will be ready to pre-write at the age of 4, others will approach the first rudiments of writing only at school desks; the important thing is to know how to encourage them at the right time.

Exercises in pre-graphism: why they are needed

During the period of kindergarten the children are then approached by the teachers to carry out pre-graphing activities, very useful exercises not aimed only at learning to write.

Using his little hands, the child learns from the first months of life to manipulate the objects around him and with the correct grip of pen and pencil he will realize that he is realizing those strokes that intrigue him so much. Not only that, the pre-graphic design also helps to coordinate better, especially in the visual sphere. Writing means having coordination, and this is a skill that is obtained with specific training; for a 4 or 5 year old child it means improving fine motor skills, through play or other recreational activities .

As a parent you can start from the global mobility, which allows him to perceive his body in space and only over time to refine his understanding of himself, in order to move more and more with established rules.
It therefore begins with vertical activities in which the whole body is involved. In a second moment we will face the horizontal exercises, the purpose of which is to teach children the correct grip, the way in which a plane (for example the table) is used to carry out finer writing activities.

The tools to carry out these activities are in common use and you can also find them in your home: papers, pens and colors. Thanks to these simple objects you can direct your child to writing, and you will also orient him to better understand the spaces around him and consequently to manage them.

When to approach it to writing

We talked before about the "importance of following the individual timing of the child. A child who approaches writing in a passive and forced manner will not give desired results: at the base of the pre-graphism there is the passion and curiosity for what it entails knowing how to draw lines. in a certain direction and hold objects such as pen and pencil, but also scissors and glue.

Therefore, if your child is in the "right" age range but shows no interest in writing, don't force him. It is preferable to indulge his natural inclinations; Put simply if he still likes scribbles, let him!
Let us not ask him for results so soon, if he is obviously not ready and we do not make comparisons with companions or brothers. As good mothers and fathers we can get close to him and play together, to catch the signs in time to understand when he is ready for this big step.

Always respect the child's abilities and needs, only in this way will you accompany him on a path of happy growth.

If he seems ready and intrigued enough, you can start with some special cards, (you can find some examples in the gallery below), or you can encourage him to write his name on the drawings created by him. For the first time, hold the pencil with your hand and put it on top of his: orient the right movements so that he can memorize them. The same "trick" can also be used with other words, but of a maximum of six letters, at least within 5 years.

Pre-graphic cards, to stimulate it in a creative way

These are all those exercises on paper that are proposed in school teaching, and it is not uncommon to see them turn around already among 5-year-olds. What are they specifically used for? Basically, their purpose is to help the little one to develop fine motor skills of which we have declined the importance above.
Thanks to the prescription or pre-calculation cards, a child learns to draw lines, to close open lines, to follow a line. As you can see from the images the words are dashed or colored, filled.

It is important that in these activities everything is hidden by play and drawing: exercise is really important but being a child to do it, it must be encouraged and stimulated!
If you want to propose these activities even at home you can find lots of ideas on some specific books, written by educators and learning professionals. Contact your trusted bookstore or buy it online at Amazon.it: there is a section with books with covers. flexible to introduce children to writing and learning numbers.

You can also find some collection of "themed" cards, focused on a specific period of the year or anniversary. Even if the basic exercise is more or less always the same: follow the lines, connect the dots, complete or copy the figures and puzzle games. Here are some examples!

The first pre-printing cards: the paths with straight and curved lines

If your child shows interest in letters and writing, here you will find which cards to start with!
The easiest for kindergarten children to make are the didactic cards that teach to draw horizontal, vertical, oblique, inclined, curved, mixed and zigzag lines. All these lines are made with hatching so that they learn the basics of drawing step by step and are a kind of guide that helps the little ones to memorize the movements of the hand.

The cards on the routes are therefore the most suitable for middlemen, but it is always better to propose them gradually and then starting with those with only straight lines and then moving on to curved lines and only when they are more practical is the learning completed with the characterized cards. from mixed lines.

Dotted drawings to complete

After the child has learned to trace the paths correctly you can move on to the drawings. The most suitable supports in this case are sheets with dotted drawings that the child will have to follow. In a short time you will see that he will be able to create beautiful drawings to give you!
Start with drawings with people, animals or everyday objects. Pre-graphic cards with dotted drawings of people are ideal for learning how to make both faces and bodies, in a simple way.
Those on animals will surely be loved, because they will finally be able to bring to life some of the subjects they like the most.
Finally, the object cards are designed to replicate everything around them, from a simple pair of scissors to a machine.

Pre-print cards themed: Mother's Day

Mother's Day is coming, why not surprise her with some beautiful drawings made by the little one of the house?
These cards are specially designed for children who are in kindergarten and who are learning the basics of drawing and writing. They can be used as a didactic tool or at home as a greeting card for a do-it-yourself job, made specifically to dedicate it to mum on her feast day.

The cards therefore portray dotted flowers, mothers with children or even some short themed sentences. Choose the one you like best and let the child customize it as he wishes, with bright colors and pastels or markers.

Find out more about how Mother's Day was born in this article and read here how to make nice jobs dedicated to her. You have time to snatch a smile from her until May 9th!

Spring pre-graphics cards

The seasons are a recurring theme in the didactic paths of kindergartens; indeed you can already find some jobs on the subject already in the bridge sections or spring sections, or the specific class for the age group 2-3 years.

Children are taught that each season has its own characteristic and spring brings with it a lot of vitality and color and for this reason it is usually one of the most popular seasons.
The pre-graphic cards on spring represent all the joy of the months of March, April and May: that is, lots of color and lots of nature. In the dotted drawings you will notice flowers, butterflies, animals and birds.