The early writing skills of children identified as at-risk for literacy difficulties

Examining children's early writing skills, particularly for those who have been identified as at-risk for later literacy difficulties, is critical to understanding potential differences in the early writing of these children compared to typically developing peers. Yet, we have an unclear understanding of the writing skills of young children at-risk for literacy difficulties. In this study, we comprehensively assessed the early writing skills of 3- to 5.5-year old children (n= 128) to characterize the writing of young children identified as at-risk for later literacy difficulties and to compare the early writing skills of these children to their non-at risk peers. Results indicated that children who are considered at-risk for later literacy difficulties lag behind their peers in a range of early writing skills, including name writing, letter writing, invented spelling, and story composition in preschool. Findings also suggest that early literacy screeners may identify children experiencing writing difficulties in addition to early reading challenges. Given the burgeoning ability of preschool-aged children, practical implications are discussed. (C) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.