What is Phonetic Spelling in Kindergarten Writing?

The first year of school is filled with so much excitement, so much learning, and so much joy for both the student and the parent. And for the parent maybe a little bit of anxiety too, especially if it is your first. 

You expect your child to come home from kindergarten writing words, maybe even sentences, and reading! So when they come home with mis-mashed garbled-up letters telling you they wrote a book… you might start to panic a little. Maybe their writing looks something like this 

“I am hape wen I git to go to the prk with mi mome.”

So here is where you really, really gotta trust the teacher (and me!). Those funny little mixtures of letters your kid tells you spells the word butterfly is actually a big, giant, awesome sign that your student is learning to read and write! Yahoo!!! 

This is called phonetic spelling and it's AMAZING!! 

So what exactly is phonetic spelling? 

You may hear it as invented spelling sometimes, too! This is one of the beginning stages of writing when children begin to write by listening to the sounds they hear! Students listen to the sounds they hear as they try to stretch out words. They may only hear the first sound or maybe multiple sounds. As they learn more rules of the English language and can hear more parts of the words, they’ll transition to standard spelling. 

Here is an example! 

You’ll notice that the word ‘car’ is spelled with just ‘cr’. This is phonetic spelling! Often times the middle sound is the hardest for students to hear so it will be left out in the beginning stages. 

If you’d like to see a more thorough example, grab this FREEBIE! It will give you a longer example of phonetic spelling AND take you through the stages of writing. 

What should I do when my child starts writing like this?

Whatever you do, don’t panic. Your kindergarten student is right on track and you do not need to worry about getting them to spell words the exact right way right now. In fact, you shouldn’t! This is an important developmental step and one students need to work through on their own (with some coaching from their teachers of course)!  

Here is what you SHOULD do! 

• Use phrases like, “Tell me about your writing/drawing.” Rather than, “What does that say?” or “What did you write?” We want to build their confidence!! 
• Don’t guess what they wrote if you aren’t sure, have them read it for you! 
• Hang up their writing/drawing throughout your home and celebrate it! You now have an author at work! 

How long will this last? 

This is different for every child and depends on many different factors! Ask your child’s teacher if you are concerned but know that most students will use phonetic spelling through kindergarten and first grade, then begin to spell most words correctly in second grade. 

Here are the basic stages of writing to look out for through the primary years: 

Drawing/Scribbling - this will look random but is purposeful for the child. They are beginning to tell stories through their drawing! Grab my Preschool Drawing Unit because they are ready for it!! 

Wavy Scribbles- your student is pretending to write! It might be time to start practicing those letters. My alphabet curriculum is great for at home and school! It would be such a fun summer activity before heading into Kindergarten! 

Grab this FREEBIE to get a copy and example of each stage of writing! 

Soon after your student is introduced to letters, you’ll likely begin to notice them more and more in their writing and drawing. They’ll likely be totally random but this is a sign your student is grasping the concept and moving through the next stage!! 

Then we start getting into the good stuff!! 

These next few phases typically take place throughout kindergarten and first grade! Here is a visual to explain the last few stages. 

It is important to note that many students do not reach the last stage until second grade. If you are concerned your child isn’t working through these stages at the right pace, talk to your child’s teacher. They really do know your child! But also keep in mind that every student is completely different and developing at different paces is completely normal. 

What are the general expectations for Kindergarten writing? 

Kindergarten is a whole different ball game than other grade levels because students come to us in completely different spots. Some can write letters, numbers, and their name. Some cannot hold a pencil. Wherever your child is, know that it will be okay. 

In general, within the first month or two of school, students will be drawing and labeling pictures with letters (and sometimes phonetically spelled words). They may have completed my Illustration Unit or my Labeling Unit. 

Midway through the year students will have learned most of their letters and some sight words (words they can’t sound out so they know by heart, or memorize). They’ll be labeling pictures and writing short sentences. Students will also begin to use spacing, punctuation, and capital letters. 

By the end of the year, students will be writing multiple sentences on each page that match the picture they illustrated. They will consistently use spaces, punctuation, and capital letters. Some students may have less phonetic spelling and more standard spelling, and some may not! 

What can I do to help my child at home? 

Here are a few basics that are GREAT for helping your child prepare for kindergarten. 

• Read to your child, A LOT! Get them familiar with books (and sitting and listening to books for that matter). 
• Use my Preschool Drawing Unit to introduce them to the idea of telling stories with their art while also practicing those fine motor skills. 
• Use this bundle to practice strengthening fine motor skills in fun ways! 
• Introduce your child to letters - you could even use my Alphabet Curriculum at home! 

If you are looking for even more to do at home or school, here is a link to all my developmentally appropriate resources!