Writing Development of Children before Entering Primary School: Focusing on Graphomotor Skills and Written Expression

Abstract

Objectives: This study investigated how graphomotor skills and written expression are exhibited in writing development during early childhood. The study also aimed to uncover the types of writing development of young children with similar graphomotor skills and written expression. Finally, the predictors on the latent groups of writing development were identified.Methods: Participants were 101 six-year-old children and their mothers. Children performed writing tasks (including copying the alphabet and writing on a picture card). Mothers completed a questionnaire about their beliefs and guidance styles on writing. Latent class analysis (LCA) was then conducted to examine the types of writing development among young children.Results: First, significant individual differences were seen among beginning writers in graphomotor skills and written expression, suggesting that such individual differences in writing could be empirically demonstrated. Second, the latent classes of writing development among young children were classified into three types: rapid/expressive writers, slow/expressive writers, and developmental writers. Third, predictors of being classified into one of the types were identified as the mother’s belief and guidance styles on emergent writing practices and children’s fine-motor development, preference for literacy activities, and drawing expression.Conclusion: This study expanded the theoretical viewpoint of the overall research in children’s writing development by evaluating both cognitive and sensorimotor traits of early writing. Moreover, this study has practical implications for enhancing young children’s writing ability by considering the latent classes of writing development for young children.