Early mark-making is not the same as writing. It is a sensory and physical experience for babies and toddlers, which they do not yet connect to forming symbols which can communicate meaning. (See roots of mark-making and handwriting in Playing and exploring and Physical Development).
Observe whether the child: early mark-making is not the same as writing. It is a sensory and physical experience for babies and toddlers, which they do not yet connect to forming symbols which can communicate meaning. (See roots of mark-making and handwriting in Playing and exploring and Physical Development).
What it looks like
Three ways this behaviour shows up as a child grows. Each level includes everyday moments to watch for.
Emerging
Just starting
Explores mark-making as a sensory action (smearing, banging, grasping) for short moments, without trying to make repeatable shapes or connect marks to meaning.
What you might see
When given chunky crayons or a mark-making surface, the child drops/throws them or mouths them only, without making intentional contact to leave marks.
Avoids touching messy mark-making materials (e.g., paint/foam) and pulls hand away immediately.
Smears paint/food on a tray with an open palm for a few seconds, then moves away with no attempt to repeat a mark.
Grips a crayon briefly and makes accidental marks while banging or sweeping the arm, not looking back at the marks.
Expected
On track
Sustains mark-making exploration for longer, varies movements (dots, lines, swirls), and repeats enjoyable actions, but does not yet use marks as intentional symbols.
What you might see
Makes repeated up-and-down or side-to-side movements that leave visible lines and watches the effect as it happens.
Returns to a mark-making activity and repeats a favourite action (e.g., dotting with a sponge) without naming it as a symbol.
Exceeding
Going further
Regularly engages in mark-making as a physical/sensory experience across materials (paper, sand, foam), experiments with control (start/stop, direction), and may occasionally look for an effect ("look what I did") without stable symbolic intent.
What you might see
Uses different motions (circles, straight lines) on paper/sand/foam and switches tools (crayon, brush, finger) to explore new effects.
Looks at the marks they have made and vocalises/gestures for an adult to notice, without claiming the marks are letters/words.
Imitates an adult’s simple stroke (a line or circle) and then makes their own variations repeatedly.
Shows preference for certain mark outcomes (e.g., chooses the thick crayon to make dark marks) and repeats to recreate the effect.
Try this at home
Small everyday moments where you can notice this behaviour without setting up anything special.
Offer a messy tray (yoghurt/foam/cornflour gloop) and notice whether your child explores making marks with hands or tools, even briefly.
Put paper and chunky crayons on the floor during play; watch whether your child returns to the area and repeats mark-making actions.
During bath time, let your child draw with water on tiles using a sponge/brush; observe whether they enjoy the movement and effect of leaving marks.
Outside, provide a stick to draw in dirt/sand; notice whether your child makes lines/dots and watches the marks appear.
While eating, let your child make marks in porridge/yoghurt on the highchair tray; observe whether the activity is mainly sensory (smearing/tapping) rather than “writing”.
Where this comes from
The framework source and supporting developmental research.
Framework source
Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) (2012), Literacy: Writing (8–20 months).
Explicitly frames early mark-making as a sensory/physical experience before children connect marks to symbolic communication.
Developmental research
Clay, M. M. (1975). What Did I Write?: Beginning Writing Behaviour.
Documents developmental progression from early mark-making/scribble to increasingly intentional, conventional symbol use in writing.
Five-level rubric (detailed)ShowHide
The full progression underlying the three levels above. Used by the platform’s reasoning agent when planning activities and observations.
Not Yet
Shows little interest in making marks; rarely explores mark-making materials through touch/movement even when offered.
When given chunky crayons or a mark-making surface, the child drops/throws them or mouths them only, without making intentional contact to leave marks.
Avoids touching messy mark-making materials (e.g., paint/foam) and pulls hand away immediately.
Emerging
Explores mark-making as a sensory action (smearing, banging, grasping) for short moments, without trying to make repeatable shapes or connect marks to meaning.
Smears paint/food on a tray with an open palm for a few seconds, then moves away with no attempt to repeat a mark.
Grips a crayon briefly and makes accidental marks while banging or sweeping the arm, not looking back at the marks.
Developing
Sustains mark-making exploration for longer, varies movements (dots, lines, swirls), and repeats enjoyable actions, but does not yet use marks as intentional symbols.
Makes repeated up-and-down or side-to-side movements that leave visible lines and watches the effect as it happens.
Returns to a mark-making activity and repeats a favourite action (e.g., dotting with a sponge) without naming it as a symbol.
Secure
Regularly engages in mark-making as a physical/sensory experience across materials (paper, sand, foam), experiments with control (start/stop, direction), and may occasionally look for an effect ("look what I did") without stable symbolic intent.
Uses different motions (circles, straight lines) on paper/sand/foam and switches tools (crayon, brush, finger) to explore new effects.
Looks at the marks they have made and vocalises/gestures for an adult to notice, without claiming the marks are letters/words.
Reflexive
Chooses mark-making to express experiences (repeats a movement pattern, imitates adult strokes) and begins to attend to differences in marks (long/short, heavy/light), laying groundwork for later symbol use.
Imitates an adult’s simple stroke (a line or circle) and then makes their own variations repeatedly.
Shows preference for certain mark outcomes (e.g., chooses the thick crayon to make dark marks) and repeats to recreate the effect.
