Mark making and speech and language development go hand in hand – children discover that sounds and words have meaning, while at the same time learning what they draw or write can stand for something real. Michael Jones explores the key role that talking plays in helping children to become capable and confident early writers. The book provides a valuable explanation of how children develop their writing skills, together with 42 tried and tested ideas to help children develop key skills, such as gross and fine motor control, visual scanning, recognition of shapes, patterns and direction, and a comfortable pencil grip. Ideal for anyone working with children aged 2–5 or older children with additional needs. 50 pages, A4.