Research Paper on:
Children's Writing Development from Ages 5 to 8

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
between the ages of five and eight, including socio-cultural and psychological elements as well the development of motor skills. For example, the acquisition and development of writing skills does not  take place in a cultural vacuum: children are surrounded, from an early age, by printed materials and can observe others using writing and reading to communicate. This is not merely  confined to books and the print media: children encounter numerous written signs in the course of their day, see others using writing in the course of various activities (making shopping  lists, writing notes, filling in forms and so on) and therefore their interest in literacy is generated at an early age.  Bissex (1980) makes the point that in the course of this everyday experience, children come to understand that both spoken and  written language is a purposeful and directed activity, and also one in which they themselves can learn to participate. Bissex also makes the point that the development of early writing  skills is inextricably linked to other forms of communication: children tend to intermingle talking, drawing and writing rather than separating the three activities. Drawing and talking are ways in which  children find it easier to assimilate and understand print: they use these activities to help them find meaning in the printed text, and to imbue their own writing with meaning.  The transition from symbolising meaning in drawing to symbolising meaning in writing is therefore a gradual one, and does not take place at a specific point in the development of  written skills. Similarly, talking continues to accompany writing in these early stages as the child investigates both meaning and sign through both mediums simultaneously.