There is a connection between a child’s oral language and the ability to organize thoughts for writing. Sometimes we begin organizing a literacy project by drawing a picture of an object or some experience the child loves to visualize. If the child isn’t writing yet, I listen to their story about the picture, type it on the iPad, and send it into a format with their drawing. They love this and will often create books to read at home.
Children develop literacy skills in combination with play skills and phonology skills. They learn how to interpret written text in books as they learn how to use language to express their emotions and ideas. They learn how to draw pictures and talk about their own ideas with language. Beginning literacy skills don’t develop quickly. They develop as the child learns to trace letters, sound out words and make sound combinations. Literacy develops through telling narratives and talking about real life events. The child has to sequence his ideas, formulate them into simple sentences, and express them through drawing or writing. All of these skills contribute to literacy.
Children with organization issues often seem distracted and unable to focus on the task that is important at the moment. They need help organizing their materials, keeping track of time, and organizing their thoughts to produce reports, to write stories and to express what they are thinking. I introduce them to IPad tools, such as Tools for Students, and we work on writing about subjects of high interest to them. For the young child, I use “Letter Sound”, “Letter School”, “Noodle Words”, “I Write Words,” “Alpha Bet Air,” and “Handwriting Without Tears.”
