RESOURCES

Inspiring mark-making

Image

To encourage and inspire future readers, writers and storytellers, early years educators and children need to think creatively together about the stories they read, the knowledge they discover, and the resources used in the setting. In ensuring the early years environment and activities are set up to maximise an interest in reading and mark-making, children will have the optimum chance to develop their literacy skills effectively and further improve their communication skills.

As they develop, children become increasingly aware that the marks that are the numbers, symbols, letters and words we see around us, and in the books they look at, communicate meaning, and record and share ideas, information and emotions. The more a child is encouraged to interact with these marks in their environment, the more they are motivated to create their own meaningful marks to represent their ideas, feelings or experiences.

Mark-making is the basis of emergent writing and an important physical and sensory experience. It is about creative expression, telling a story, developing drawing and designing skills, and writing and recording letters as well as numbers. In this way, as well as developing literacy skills, it also supports learning and development in the EYFS areas of mathematics, expressive arts and design, and physical development.


Being creative with resources is central to inspiring mark-making.


The Early Learning Goal for Fine Motor Skills says that children at the expected level of development will “hold a pencil effectively in preparation for fluent writing”, “use a range of small tools,” including paint brushes and “begin to show accuracy and care when drawing”. The Early Learning Goal for Creating with Materials says that children at the expected level of development will: “safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function”.

Being imaginative and creative with resources is central to inspiring markmaking in children during their early years. Follow the interests and desires of the children to provide opportunities for marks to be made both large and small, indoors and out. Experiment with different media such as ink, paint, mud, water, pastels, and different thickness and size of pens, pencils, felt tips, and chalk. Explore using different types, sizes and colours of paper and also textured surfaces, such as sand, earth, porridge, and rice.

Support children to employ different mark-making implements including their own hands and feet, feathers, straws, string, sticks, leaves, brushes, and even fruit and vegetables. Give children the chance to choose the mark making resources themselves and provide opportunities for exploration and problem solving. For example – which tools can they choose from the setting to best make a picture in the sand? Include the use of digital devices in the mark making process with paint and word processing programmes and apps on the computer or tablets available to the children.

In mark-making activities, as with any learning, it is crucial that children are encouraged to take ownership of and pride in their achievements. Praise and thoughtful comments on the effort and detail of their learning, for example, the way they acted out a funny part of the story or the colours, shape or patterns they painted, are important. Helping parents understand the value of the literacy learning that is taking place and how to support it further is crucial.

Support parents to understand that their child’s mark-making is more than just scribbles; it’s an achievement. Highlight the detail, creativity and perseverance shown in their children’s learning. Show them the range of mark-making and reading opportunities and experiences available at your setting, explaining how these further the child’s development and how this can be continued at home.