Dr. Isaak Papadopoulos (International Hellenic University, Greece)

Topic: Understanding and Supporting Emergent Writing in the Early Years

Long before children begin writing conventional letters and words, they are already exploring ways to communicate meaning through marks, drawings and early forms of writing. These first attempts are an important part of literacy development, yet recognising and interpreting them can sometimes be challenging for educators.

This talk explores how children's emergent writing develops and how educators can better understand and support this process through systematic observation. Drawing on an international research collaboration and piloting phases, we will introduce an emergent writing chart (rubric) designed to help educators identify, document and interpret children's mark making, drawing and writing development in early childhood settings.

We'll discuss how this practical tool can support educators in recognising children's emerging literacy capabilities, monitoring their progress over time and planning meaningful next steps in their learning. We'll also consider how the rubric can contribute to more inclusive and responsive early literacy practices, particularly in linguistically diverse early childhood environments, and strengthen communication with families about children's writing development.