Trips to the playground and jigsaw puzzles: five surprising ways to help children learn to write

By Sinéad McCauley Lambe, Assistant Professor, School of Inclusive and Special Education, Dublin City University

It’s a milestone that leaves parents beaming with pride: the first time their child shakily writes out their own name. And it’s the start of many more key childhood moments, from Christmas lists to writing their own stories.

If you’re keen to help your child learn to write, you might think about asking them to try to copy shapes, or trace over the dotted outline of a letter. But there’s a lot more that goes into writing. It requires fine…

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