Learning the alphabet is such a big step for preschoolers, as it is learning how to write letters. It doesn’t come easily or naturally to all or any children, which is why I’m sharing five fun how to teach letters at your preschool writing center.

I need to be honest here. I think that writing worksheets have a location in preschool, but typically not in the center that is writing. I’ll leave a set out of letter formation worksheets, but they are used infrequently, that is ok. There are plenty different ways to instruct writing to preschoolers without traditional tracing!

You notice, a preschool center that is writingn’t just for learning letter formation. It’s also about using writing to communicate.

The goal of a center that is writing to:

  • Communicate ideas on paper via drawings and letters
  • Associate print with meaning
  • Develop motor that is fine by using the various materials
  • Practice left to right progression in reading and writing
  • Develop eye-hand coordination
  • Learn to form letters

The thing is a lot of the learning that happens at a center that is writing about emergent reading because reading and writing are so interlaced.

5 Ways to Teach Letters at the Writing Center

Since reading and writing are so intertwined, it is only natural to incorporate a bit that is little of in your writing center as well as your literacy center.

Include plenty of letter options that are tracing

Many preschoolers are not attracted to tracing letters. (Unless they currently have an adult pencil grasp, but until then I love to use my fine motor journals to encourage the pincer grasp). But, preschoolers can often be enticed with a few fun tools that are tracing!

They are three of our favorites that are less-traditional

Include plenty of alphabet toys that encourage fine motor skills

At the center that is writing not everything has to be about holding a writing utensil. In fact, your preschooler will resist tracing until they will have fairly developed fine motor skills. (They will still be thinking about scribbling and drawing, at this time, just not so interest that is much tracing).

To combat an pencil that is immature, be sure to include plenty of letter activities that will develop fine motor skills.

Here are a few of our go-to activities:

Include plenty of name writing options

Preschoolers are enthusiastic about their names that are own and so they enjoy writing their names more than just letters. So, make sure to offer an abundance of ways to allow them to spell and write their names.

Listed below are my ideas that are favorite

Include materials for story writing

Preschoolers love telling stories, but sometimes it’s burdensome for them to create stories. Setting up your preschool writing center so that they usually have plenty of inspiration is helpful. Add thematic pictures into the center that is writing as well as word cards, and large amount of fun and new writing materials. (These Early Learning Language Learning Cards are a life saver!)

Sometimes I’ll offer only thematic colors of markers and crayons into the writing center like blue, purple, and gray for winter buy essay. I love to offer stickers and small components of paper for tearing and gluing. And my preschoolers come on books to write their stories in. Target usually has packs of eight booklets for $3 around back-to-school time, but you can try these Blank Booklets for Writing and Sketching if you’re not near a Target store .

Include a lot of letter formation activities

Not just tracing activities. But activities where children get to practice letter forms. Where they get to shape the letters (while working on motor that is fine, needless to say), and mold them.

Learning letters comes naturally as children work to form letters. That’s why we include sand trays and hole punching. Preschoolers can practice writing letters in the air, or have your child try writing with her feet. Use play dough which will make letters. It’s exactly about forming letters.

Need Some Printables for Your Preschool Writing Center?

Add these to your preschool writing center. They are not your traditional tracing sheets, but instead all of the letter formation fun minus the worksheet.

I will be Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home mama of five! I am the property owner and creator of be home more Educator, a webpage about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the first childhood years. I’ve taught range of levels, including preschool and college, and a small amount of just about everything in between. Right now, my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction