Write? Right!

Just as babies babble before they can speak, young children can scribble and draw before they can write. Scribbling, drawing and writing are all important skills that will help children understand the connection between spoken and written letters and words when it's time for them to start learning to read.

Try these books as a way to encourage your child use different forms of writing.

Alphabet books like ABC Animals can be used to encourage writing even if you don't have a writing tool. Help young children trace over the large letters with their fingers to give them an idea of the strokes that make up letters, all while they learn about different animals.

Harold and the Purple Crayon is a classic about a boy who uses his crayon to create the world around him with simple lines. Give your kids a crayon and see what they'll create with their squiggles, lines and doodles.

Take those scribbles a step further with The Day the Crayons Quit, a book that follows each of the twelve colors in a box of crayons as they write letters to their owner and express all their thoughts, feelings and concerns. Use this book to encourage your child to draw colorful images such as an orange whale or a red pony and help them to write out their ideas too.

As you can see there are many right ways for children to write. Try one out with your kids and share any other ideas you have to encourage writing here.