Give preschoolers opportunties to write and color

Here are some ideas to consider when giving your preschool students opportunities to color or write.

Offer Choices
Provide your preschoolers with a variety of writing tools to choose from. Add crayons, markers, pencils, pens, colored pencils, and chalk of different sizes and shapes. Provide access to different types of paper as well such as construction paper, newsprint, recycled paper, copy paper, and newspaper.

Offer Time
Allow time for preschoolers to explore the writing materials. For very young preschoolers, you may want to set out a large sheet of paper on a table for preschoolers to go back and forth. They may not want to just sit and color in one long setting but they might get started, leave to do something else, and then come back for more.

For older preschoolers, remember that writing or coloring is more fun when friends join in. Give time for preschoolers to socialize while they write or color. Encourage preschoolers to comment on each other's creations. Preschoolers also love to have their teacher join them as well.

Be Encouraging
You may not recognize the masterpiece your preschooler is drawing, but instead of asking, "What is that?" Say something like, "Tell me about your drawing." Encourage preschoolers to share their ideas and creations. Encourage preschoolers by telling them how much you appreciate their work.

Keep Writing and Coloring Fun
Preschool writing and coloring set the ground work for future attitudes towards writing. Writing and coloring should be a relaxing and fun experience. This is why parents and teachers need to make sure writing and coloring is a positive experience and regardless of how much marker ends up on the table or hands, be sure to notice how wonderful the child's work turned out to be.

Writing Centers
Provide a writing center with additional tools that keep writing interesting for preschoolers such as staplers, hole punches, stamps, ink pads, stencils, glue sticks, and even pre-made blank books. The writing center can be a very popular place if children are given time to enjoy it and a variety of writing tools to work with.


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