Parent perceptions of children’s early writing practices

Children’s early writing development and expression through symbolic representation is heavily influenced by the social and cultural factors but the most influencing factors considered is their parents and families’ interactions. In this scenario, this study explored how 12 parents understand their young children's early writing practices, or symbolic representation, such as drawing and writing. Data were collected through focus groups, home interviews, children's work samples, and observations of parent-child activities. The preschool was located on a public university campus in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Constant comparative analysis was used to analyze the data. Results indicate that most parents valued conventional forms of symbolic representation, especially writing and drawing, and emphasized the importance of alphabetic writing for kindergarten readiness. Parents believed that children’s ability to write letters and their names is crucial at the kindergarten level. The study contributed significantly by recording parents’ voices on their children’s symbolic representation and suggested a strong home-school connection could further support children’s development and learning.