It’s Impossible for a 3-Year-Old to Write… Or Is It?

Ask most teachers or parents, and they’ll say: “Writing? At 3 years old? No way.”

But here’s the thing: writing doesn’t start with a pencil.

It starts with movement, memory, and multisensory learning.

In my own experience teaching and in the programs I helped design, the benefits of combining phonics with pre-writing exercises helped build the childs ability in both skills. Children aren't randomly attaching sounds to these weird strange symbols. Rather they are learning the shape, the sound, the look and the feel of "a, b, c, by using letter objects or sandpaper letters. By combining phonics and pre-writing into one beautiful, brain-building activity, the child flourishes, phonics isn't something boring but rather a time of exploration into a whole new world of learning for the child.

Writing Begins with Tracing

When a child is learning the letter s, we don’t just show them a flashcard.

We give them a sandpaper letter — they trace it with their finger, say /s/, and feel the shape.

We follow this up with sand trays, paint, or air tracing — so they begin to form the muscle memory of the letter, even before writing on paper.

When phonics and writing are taught together, something powerful happens:

• The child hears the sound

• They feel the shape

• They see the letter

• And they connect sound + symbol + movement

This is the foundation of real writing.

Pre-Writing Activities that Work:

• Finger tracing sandpaper letters while saying the sound

• Sand tray writing — children “draw” the letter in sand or flour

• Air tracing — large arm movements to form the shape

• Trace a partner’s back — one child draws the letter, the other guesses the sound

• Paint with fingers — forming large letter shapes

• Pinch-and-roll clay shapes — to build finger strength

These aren’t just crafts — they are neurological workouts that prepare children’s hands and brains to write.

Why This Helps Kids Write Faster

By combining writing with phonics, we’re activating more parts of the brain:

• Visual cortex (seeing the letter)

• Auditory processing (hearing the sound)

• Motor cortex (feeling and forming the shape)

This multisensory integration builds stronger memory, faster recall, and more confident writing — because kids already know how the letter feels before they pick up a pencil.

When I work with teachers and curriculum teams, I always say: “Don’t separate writing and phonics. Join them early.”

It’s not only effective — it’s joyful. And yes, 3-year-olds absolutely can write — if we let them start the right way.

Want support building a pre-writing and phonics program for your school? Let’s talk.

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