The first year of school is filled with so much excitement, learning, and joy for both students and parents. And for parents especially those sending their first child to kindergarten, there can also be a little bit of anxiety.
You might expect your child to come home from kindergarten writing words, maybe even full sentences, and reading! So when they proudly show you a paper filled with a jumble of letters and tell you they wrote a book, you might panic a little.
Maybe their writing looks something like this:
“I am hape wen I git to go to the prk with mi mome.”
Here’s where you really, really have to trust the teacher (and me!). Those adorable, garbled-up letters are actually a huge sign that your child is learning to read and write. Yahoo!
This is called phonetic spelling, and it’s amazing.
What is phonetic spelling?
You might also hear it called invented spelling. It’s one of the earliest stages of writing when children begin to write by stretching out the sounds they hear in words. They listen carefully and record the sounds they can identify. At first, they may only write the beginning sound. As they learn more about the rules of English, they start to include middle and ending sounds, eventually transitioning to standard spelling.
For example, your child might write “cr” for car. This is phonetic spelling! The middle sound is usually the hardest for students to hear, so it’s often left out in the beginning stages.
If you’d like to see a more detailed example, grab my freebie that includes a longer sample of phonetic spelling and a breakdown of the stages of writing.
What should I do when my child starts writing like this?
Whatever you do, don’t panic. Your kindergartener is right on track, and you do not need to correct every word right now. In fact, you shouldn’t! This is an essential developmental step that helps children learn to connect sounds to letters on their own (with guidance from their teachers, of course).
Here’s what you should do:
• Use phrases like “Tell me about your writing” or “Tell me about your drawing” instead of “What does that say?” We want to build their confidence.
• Don’t guess what they wrote if you’re unsure—have them read it to you.
• Display their work proudly at home. You now have an author in the house!
How long does this stage last?
Every child moves through these stages at their own pace. Most students will use phonetic spelling throughout kindergarten and first grade and begin spelling most words correctly by second grade.
Here are the general stages of early writing:
You can grab my freebie for examples of each writing stage and see how your child’s skills progress over time.
As your child learns their letters, you’ll begin to see more of them show up in their drawings and “writing.” At first, they may appear random, but this means your child is starting to understand that letters represent sounds.
Then we move into the really exciting part—phonetic spelling!
Throughout kindergarten and first grade, children experiment with spelling words by sound. They might write “wndo” for window or “brd” for bird, and that’s wonderful progress. Some students won’t fully reach conventional spelling until second grade, and that’s completely normal.
If you’re ever unsure, talk with your child’s teacher. They know your child’s progress best and can help you see where they are developmentally.
What are the general expectations for kindergarten writing?
Kindergarteners enter school at all different stages. Some can already write their name and letters, while others are just learning to hold a pencil. Wherever your child is, it’s okay.
In the first month or two, students usually draw and label pictures using letters or phonetic words. They may be working through my Illustration Unit or Labeling Unit at this stage.
By the middle of the year, most students know their letters and some sight words. They’ll begin labeling pictures and writing short sentences using spaces, punctuation, and capital letters.
By the end of the year, kindergarteners are writing multiple sentences on each page that match their illustrations. They consistently use spaces, punctuation, and capital letters. Some may begin spelling more words conventionally, while others continue to use phonetic spelling—and both are perfectly okay.
What can I do to help my child at home?
Here are a few simple, powerful ways to support your child’s writing journey at home:
• Read to your child every day. This builds vocabulary, comprehension, and a love for books.
• Use my Preschool Drawing Unit to help your child tell stories through art while strengthening fine motor skills.
• Try my Fine Motor Bundle for fun, skill-building activities.
• Introduce letters through my Alphabet Curriculum, perfect for at-home learning.
If you want more developmentally appropriate resources for school or home, check out all of my Growing Writers materials designed to meet your child where they are and help them grow into confident writers.