Pre-Writing Skills Before Learning to Write
The foundational skills children need before handwriting, signs they may need support, and play-based ways to build them at home.
Written by Lena Saab, Occupational Therapist.
Before children write letters and words, they build pre-writing skills — the foundations that get hands and bodies ready for handwriting. At Square One Therapy Hub in Kogarah, our occupational therapy team supports children across the St George area and wider Sydney to build these foundations through play-based therapy.
What are pre-writing skills?
Pre-writing skills help children control their hands, coordinate movements, and understand how to form shapes and patterns. Important pre-writing skills include:
- Hand and finger strength
- Hand-eye coordination
- Bilateral coordination (using both hands together)
- Postural strength and stability
- Visual motor skills
- Pencil control
- Forming simple shapes and lines
Why they matter
When children develop strong pre-writing skills, they are better prepared to learn handwriting at school. Without these foundations, writing can feel tiring, frustrating or overwhelming.
Strong pre-writing skills help children:
- Control a pencil more easily
- Form lines and shapes with accuracy
- Develop good posture while sitting at a table
- Build confidence when starting school tasks
- Enjoy drawing and early writing activities
For further reading on the role of occupational therapy in children's development, Occupational Therapy Australia has resources for families.
Signs your child may need support
- Difficulty holding crayons or pencils
- Avoiding drawing or colouring
- Using too much or too little pressure
- Trouble copying simple lines or shapes
- Becoming tired quickly during drawing tasks
- Slouching or leaning heavily on the table
How occupational therapy can help
Occupational therapists build these skills through play — hand strength, posture, coordination, pencil control and visual motor skills, matched to where each child is.
Simple ways to build pre-writing skills at home
- Playing with playdough or clay
- Drawing with crayons, chalk or markers
- Painting with brushes or sponges
- Using tweezers or tongs during play
- Cutting with scissors
- Tracing shapes in sand, rice or shaving foam
- Building with blocks or Lego
- Doing puzzles
All of these build the foundations handwriting sits on.
Book an occupational therapy assessment
If you'd like to learn how our team can support your child's pre-writing skills, contact Square One Therapy Hub. Once children start school and pencil work ramps up, our OTs cover when messy handwriting is worth seeing an occupational therapist. We see children for occupational therapy at our Kogarah clinic, at home and at school. NDIS welcome — self-managed and plan-managed participants supported.
More from the blog
NDIS and Occupational Therapy: What's Actually Covered
OT under an NDIS plan — which supports are funded, how to use them, and how self- and plan-managed participants access services at Square One.
Late Talker or Speech Delay? A Sydney Parent's Guide
How to tell the difference between a late talker who'll catch up and a delay that needs support — milestones by age, red flags, and what helps in the meantime.
Messy Handwriting: When It's Worth Seeing an Occupational Therapist
Illegible writing, sore hands, avoiding written work — what's behind handwriting difficulties, what to expect at each school year, and when an OT assessment is worth it.