# What age is average for a child write their name?



## tinyblackdot

At what age could your lo write their name? Like not just copy the pictures, but actually know the letters, and write their own name, as well as ask how to spell words out and sound them out and write them? What age is average?


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## loraxc

My child--3

Average, I'd say, is mid to late 4.

I'm just talking about writing the name here. As for "ask how to spell words out and sound them out and write them"--whole other question, I think. I don't really remember, but I think that was around 4 for DD, and somewhere broadly in the 4-7 range is normal. I think a lot of kids ask how to write a few common and important words, such as Mom, Dad, Love, around 4, but most are not trying to write anything complex till at least 5.

FWIW, my DD was writing well before she was reading well, which is not as unusual as I thought.


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## queenjulie

My daughter is exactly 3 1/2 and is just about able to write "Katie" correctly. She hasn't yet tried to write anything else, but she can identify all the letters of the alphabet and is starting to spell words in books and sound them out, if we encourage her.

However, she is in full-time preschool where they practice writing their name several times a day, and I am a professional editor who reads and writes for a living. I believe that has given her a big advantage and made her pick up writing much earlier than usual, and other than that, she seems like a fairly average kid.


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## Aufilia

DD could write her own name shortly after 3. At that point she also knew all the letter sounds and could sound out short words IF she felt like it. Mostly she would just say she couldn't and refuse, though. She is 3.75 now and reading pretty well, both phonetic words and non-phonetic ones. She still says she "can't read", which I guess translates to "can't read every single she encounters".

She can spell many words and knows how to write most letters and numbers, but does not like to write. The only things I've seen her write recently are "Vivian" and "Mama", other than that she just draws zig-zags and tells me she's writing "funny letters".


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## KCMichigan

DD1 26 months ( 4 letter name--3 different letters)
DD2 32 months (5 letter name, 4 different letters)

This is when they could write their name clearly so that other could read it with all letters. One write in all capitals and the other mixed capital/lower case. Now at age 4- they both can write simple words, DD1 basic sentences (I lik catz- I see yu) and all the letters of the alphabet.

It is a 'goal' for the whole class by the end of PreK class- so age 4- 5 for average.

I think it would depend on 1. the child 2. the name length (obviously Bob is easier than Benjamin and Anna is easier than Rebecca) 3. the letters (some letters- s, z, v, R ,k, G , etc are harder to make: o and c are some of the easiest).


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## VroomieMama

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tinyblackdot* 
At what age could your lo write their name? Like not just copy the pictures, but actually know the letters, and write their own name, as well as ask how to spell words out and sound them out and write them? What age is average?


for my DD she finally could write her name when she was 5 years old. I thought it was very late but teacher at kindergarten 2 years ago said its quite common. I found myself disagreeing with her when she said that.

My showed me one of his paper that he had written when he was 2 years old.. he wrote his name when he was 2 years old!!!!! I was VERY shocked! He said that his mom used to volunteer at a head start school so he went there and learned how to write at such a young age!


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## pigpokey

My understanding is that the letters in the name are critical in determining what should be an average age to be able to write one's name with a given amount of practice. A name with no diagonals, for example, would be much easier. ELLIE is easier to learn to write at an earlier developmental stage than RYAN.


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## Landover

DS could write his name at about 3.25. He will be four in a couple of weeks and he can easily write anything that I tell him how to spell. He frequently asks how to spell full sentences, and I spell them out to him while cooking.







He can also write simply CVC words on his own. He can draw a dog and write "Max" under it by sounding it out.

As I sit here though, he is currently snuggled up next to my whimpering because he has remembered a pair of tennis shoes he had when he was two and wants to get them back insisting his feet are now small enough for them. So, while he is definitely ahead in some areas, I am quite sure he is behind in some as well. Or maybe all four year olds are ridiculously irrational beings.


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## teenyxirenie

*


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## VanessaS

My child = 3


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## Grace and Granola

DS surprised me by writing out his name (ROBBY) when he was 3years + 7 months. He had recognized letters since before he was two and he NEVER wanted me to help him learn to write. So, I was completely overjoyed when he just did it when he was ready. After he wrote his name, I tried to teach him how to write other letters, but he would never let me hold his hand to show him or teach him any other way. One day a little before he turned four, he started writing every letter. I actually asked me to show him how to write a few letters he found tricky, like G,K, P. Now at early 4, he sits with his magnadoodle and sounds out CVC words and writes them on his own. He also asks me to write down words that are harder so he can copy them, like Happy Birthday Grandma!

It seemed for ds that the writing just needed to click. He had all the knowledge, he could sound out CVC words at 3 1/2, but something had to come together for the writing to begin. Now he loves to write words and his drawing has also taken off.


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## daytripper75

Mine did around her 3rd birthday. She started preschool at 3.5.


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## no5no5

I think average is 4-5.

DD first wrote her name (diagonal and all) when she was 2. You wouldn't have recognized it unless I pointed it out to you, though.







She's 3 1/2 now and has hardly made any progress. I'm not even sure she can still write her name (though she does type it and other words regularly). It's been a while since she's been interested in writing by hand.


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## kgianforti

Mine hasn't yet but she did write "Hi" a couple of weeks ago!


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## Bokonon

Mason started doing this shortly after he turned 4. He has known all his letters by sight since 18 months, but refused to try writing them until recently. He has also just started writing Mommy and Daddy, and asked how to spell his sister's name, which is 6 letters, and he wrote pretty well.


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## sparklett

DS could spell his name at 20 months (and visually pick out the letters) and at 28 months, he can now write 2 of the letters in his name. I think he'll have the rest figured out soon.


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## aprildawn

My oldest was in Kinder, so she was 5. Her name has 7 letters total and uses 6 different letters. Also, she wrote two of the letters backwards until late 1st grade.

My youngest is writing her name already. She's 4.5. I say 'already' since DD1 was so old! Her name has 5 letters total, and 5 different letters.

DD1 had friends writing their names much younger. But they had simple, 4 letter names with repeat letters like Adam or Sara.


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## TinyMama

2 yrs 5 mos. 5 letter name, 5 different letters.

Writing has really clicked for her all of a sudden--she's obsessed with writing the alphabet (upper case) in one straight line.


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## stlmomof2

DD could write her name at 29 months and within a month, she could write pretty much anything I told her how to spell. She actually helped me write checks when she was 2 1/2. She learned to sound out words at a young 3 but she couldn't write phonetically until sometime in the last few months (she'll be 4 tomorrow). Recently, she wrote out her first "book" all by herself. But she doesn't do it all the time.


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## ChristaN

Dd#1 has an eight letter name with six different letters and she could write it without copying it off of another piece of paper somewhere btwn 3.5-4 y/o. Her preschool teacher led me to believe that this was late, but I'm not sure that it was. A lot of the other kids in her preschool class had names like "Al" and "Emma" which were, I'm sure, easier to learn to write.

I honestly can't remember when dd#2 learned to write her name, but she does have an "easier" name.


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## moominmamma

I think a gifted board is just about the worst place to ask that question.







Most of us are here because we don't have "average".

That being said, I believe it's generally an expectation for the pre-K / Junior Kindergarten year (i.e. age 4) but one that's not met by all children.

Miranda


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## ramama

I don't remember when my gifted child began writing her name, because I suck LOL. But my youngest is 3 and is writing her name. I don't know where she picked it up, since no one every taught her. She is also trying to sound out words and write them. I don't know if that's average or not, and I don't know for sure if she's gifted or not yet. But definitely very bright.


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## eepster

DS (3 3/4 yo) can *not* _write_ his name.

He learned to _spell_ the shortest version of his name (Tim) at around 2 1/2, which was just a bit before he started to read Bob type books. A little while later, he started typing and using things like letter magnets and stickers to put his name on things. He learned to spell "mom" and "dad" around the same time.

He is currently in the creative spelling stage, but does not _write_ at all. He types and uses magnets, stickers, stamps, etc. He uses creative spelling for the longer versions of his name, for instance I've seen him type "time" and "timwe" for _Timmy_.

According to the PBS development tracker, late 4 yo seems to be pretty common.

Quote:

By the end of this year, many children can write a few words correctly from memory (e.g., their name and the name of a close friend or two; and common words, such as No, Yes, Love, Mom, Dad, and Dear).
from: http://www.pbs.org/parents/childdeve.../literacy.html


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## Tanikit

My niece could write her name (5 letters) when she was just over 2.5 years though she often left off the last letter. My daughter has just turned two and can write only the first letter of her name (L) - I think it will be a while before she can write her whole name (7 letters)


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## Encinalien

My poor boy. WYATT is almost all diagonals. LoL poor baby. I haven't showed him how to write it. I got the whole Hooked on Phonics series on clearance at jc pennies for $11 each. So we're starting with the handwriting lessons which is vertical lines, horizontal lines, diagonal lines, and circles. Not really letters yet. My mom had the idea that I could teach him to spell his name by singing it to the BINGO tune w-y-att. And Wyatt is his name-o. He sings the ATT part. He is at the same level as my nephew (called my sister in fl. Told her about the clearance sell. She found one in time at her mall) they draw the o's pretty much on the lines, but often circle more than once. I just learned diagonals are difficult here at mdc. On the vertical lines and horizontal lines he can do the small ones already on the dotted lines (working his way down from starting at the big ones). But the diagonals he has only done the large channel offered in the Kumon book. See. I didn't even know that. I learned something new here again.


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## Qbear'smama

Right around her 3rd birthday.


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## eilonwy

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pigpokey* 
My understanding is that the letters in the name are critical in determining what should be an average age to be able to write one's name with a given amount of practice. A name with no diagonals, for example, would be much easier. ELLIE is easier to learn to write at an earlier developmental stage than RYAN.









I'd like to add here that there are different kinds of writing. At 2.5 (I think-- maybe three?), Bean could "write" his shortened name in the sand with a stick but he found it difficult to do with a pencil/crayon. BooBah could write with a pencil at three but couldn't spell her name until recently. Bella is the first of my children to do both without help before age 4.5 (she's three and can write 'Bella' in all capital letters). Bear can't spell his name but he knows the first letter, and can't write his name but can make lovely circles.


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## hottmama

All of the kids in my son's preschool can write their names, and they are 3y10m to 4y10m.

My little one is 3y10m, wrote his name (Luka) before 3, and has been able to sound out and spell words for about 6 months. It's often incorrect (like lolepop for lollipop) but getting better. He's started spelling silent-e words right, like home. His handwriting is only barely legible when he writes words other than his name.

My oldest son is a lot more "average" than my little, and he learned to write his name (Julian) at 5 and started spelling words at 6.


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## LynnS6

Write their name or know the letters of their name? For my kids, they knew the letters of their name significantly earlier than they could write them.

Both of them could identify (not just name) the letters of their name by about 2 1/2. Writing? Dd was 3. Ds was 4. Ds had a fine motor delay, and his name was about the ONLY thing he could write and even then it was badly. (And his name has 3 letters with diagonals. Poor dd has 4 diagonals and a R. She solved the problem by writing her diagonal letters with curves and doing a lower case r with upper case everything else. And then reversing all her letters to accommodate her lefthandedness.)

Writing words hasn't come nearly as easily for either of my kids. They are truly bothered by the discrepancy between what they can read and what they can write. Ds is in 3rd grade, and I would say that his writing has really just taken off in the last 6 months. (I talked to his teacher yesterday, and he said that ds has excellent spelling and great ideas, but needs work on organization and penmanship. Now there's a surprise!) Dd could theoretically write, but won't try.


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## snowmom5

I think if you really want to know "average", then this isn't the place to ask









I think average is probably by the start of K.


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## AnnesMoM

My dd was writing her name, Anne, in all caps at about 3 - I can't remember exactly.
My ds, who will be 3 next week, has been sitting in my dd's homeschool phonics lessons for a few months and began writing his name, Orion, about 3 months ago. He starts with a capital 'O' and the rest are lower case. He's forever wanting me to let him type his name if I'm on the computer writing an email.


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## lonegirl

Tyr has known how to spell his name since he was less than 2 and write it by dot-to-dot at about 2y3m and he can write it on his own now-all in capitals- (he will be 3 next month). He has known what all the letters "say" since he was less than 2y...But again a favourite thing for him is spelling out any words he finds.
That being said....I think around Kindergarten is likely the average.


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## staceychev

About 2.5. But, she's got really good fine motor skills combined with a four letter name!


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## staceyshoe

My son could spell his first name (5 letters) just before turning 2. He could spell his last name (10 letters) by age 3. His writing skills are atrocious. He started kindergarten at age 4 and would use half the paper to "write" his name which was virtually illegible. Thankfully, kindergarten has made a big difference--2 months later at 4 1/2, he can spell his name in all capitals within the lines of the large elementary lined paper. Still probably way behind the curve as far as fine motor skills, but he's finally making significant progress.


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## Tigerchild

DD was reproducing her name and the sight words she'd figured out by 2.5. I say reproducing rather than writing though because it was more like drawing than writing, and was done in a very inefficient way. So when she got to school, it was a battle because she had to learn how to do it all over again, luckily she had a teacher who 'got' her and was able to show her how it was more efficient than what she was doing, and that appeal to logic won her over.

One of my boys was an early-ish writer (not as early as Fiona though), shortly after he turned 3. The other was more like 4, but I think that mostly because his name was harder to spell than Tom's, and there was a bit of competition between them.


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## blueturtle

Mine was about 2.5.


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## minkin03

my dd who will be 4 in december, surprised me last february at just over age 3 by writing her name on a picture for a friend. she hadn't practiced it at all, and i hadn't worked with her on it, not even any letter writing prior to that. she went through a phase where she was writing alot, she liked to write out "the cat in the hat" and "hop on pop" b/c they were her favorite books. at that time she could sound out CVC words and write them. since the summer though she seems to have lost interest in writing and reading. she's currently into singing and dancing, she loves to watch musicals.

i'm attaching something she wrote last may to give you an idea of her writing.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3377/...227b692a4c.jpg


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## clipfish

----


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## SeekingJoy

3


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## TEAK's Mom

My oldest dd did not write her name until she was 6. She read fluently at 3, and could spell her name by 18 months (it is unusual and she heard it spelled more often than most), but did not have the fine motor skills to put pencil to paper until last year.


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## LauraLoo

My perfectionistic ds didn't write his name until roughly 4.5 years old, but when he did, he did it with a capital first letter and the rest lower case letters.

DD wrote her name at approx. 3.5 years old, in all caps and still writes with all capitals today at 5.


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## SeekingSerenity

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tinyblackdot* 
At what age could your lo write their name? Like not just copy the pictures, but actually know the letters, and write their own name, as well as ask how to spell words out and sound them out and write them? What age is average?

DS was doing all the above at 3, maybe 3.5 before he could really write to where you could read it. He was asking how to spell words and sounding out in the early-3s though.

DD, well until I read this thread, I thought she was average because she was "behind" DS. She just now started writing her name and she has been 4 for about a month. She knows and writes the whole alphabet and asks how to spell things like "Halloween," and can pretty much make it legible. Now that I think about it, though, the little girl next door who is in Pre-K and will be 5 in January is just learning letter recognition and how to write the basic upper-case letters in school. I don't think she's writing her name yet. I don't know about asking.

I know DD has been "sounding out" letter and words since she was just-turned 3. It's just recently that she's been actually writing them.


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## aishamama

I have no idea what normal is for everyone else.

Yusuf could write his name just after 3, and at that point he could already spell out words (3&4) and write them. Now he can spell and write out more complex words and make sentences with a pencil and typing. He'll be 4 next month.


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## becoming

DS1 (highly gifted) and DD (not yet identified) were both just over 2. DD has a 4 letter name with only two letters (Anna), so I'm not sure she completely counts.







DS1's name is 5 different letters.

DS2 is 27 months and... it won't be anytime soon. He has different gifts than his siblings.


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## Cavy

The thread asked what is _average_, and where the child is able to sound the name out (actually has an idea what sounds each letter makes).
It really depends when and how the child is exposed to letters, some children won't be in a situation where they are taught any letter sounds (or where someone tries to teach them) until age 5 or 6 or maybe even older. Or the method of teaching may not suit some children, especially for their age.

My guess is the answer is just about 5yo in most developed countries.


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## mommy2abigail

DD1 could write her name by memory at 3. By her 4th b-day, she could write all the letters legibly. At 4.5, she is reading and writing cvc words and some sight (Dolch) words. She regularly writes our grocery list now.


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## LizLizard

My oldest is 3 yrs 3 mo and knows the letters in her name, can spell it with magnetic letters, and can write SOMETHING that she says is her name. It doesn't entirely look like it... well, sometimes it does. So she's getting there.









I taught a Sunday school class of 3 year olds a couple weeks ago... there were 19 of them and only 1 knew how to write her name. She had a 6 letter name and it was easily readable. She was also the best at coloring, she colored perfectly within the lines, it was amazing. I talked to her mom afterwards and she said that her daughter colors and writes all.day.long so she gets plenty of practice.


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## HeatherB

Moving over to Childhood Years for input on the true "average" age.


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## LittleBlessings

my child started at 3.5 but still writes some of the letters backwards


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## velochic

Dd was 6 months old when she picked up the pen for the first time to write her name.

Just kidding. I couldn't resist.

OP - I think the age range is quite large. Obviously some kids do it younger or older on their own, some do it younger or older by parent pressure. I work at a library and just conducted an early learning survey required by the state library for a grant I won for our library... the age range for writing their name was actually anywhere from about 3 years old to 5 years old. For some kids it's a matter of fine motor skills rather than their grasp of the alphabet.

ETA: the survey was only about 50 families, some with many kids, just so you know the sample size I was talking about.


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## ecoteat

I think my dd may be gifted, and as I was reading this (now in the Childhood Years forum, not gifted) and was starting to wonder if I was in some parallel universe. Then I realized most of these posts happened in the gifted forum! Whew!

Anyway, to answer the question, dd is almost 3.5. She's been going to preschool for a year. It's a Waldorf-inspired school, so there is very little emphasis on written text, but the teacher does realize most of her kids don't go to Waldorf kindergarten, so she does introduce letters. I've kind of intentionally not explicitly taught dd anything about letters because I know she'll figure it out on her own and I don't want to emphasize anything that isn't necessary for a 3-year-old's life. As soon as she starts putting letters and sounds together, though, we'll both have fun with that! She's been singing the alphabet for a LONG time and has been able to read her own name since she was 2, but her fine motor skills were a little slower to catch up. She's only been drawing things that look like anything at all for a few months. Today she wrote a P for the first time I think. So at 3.5, she is still unable to write her name, and that seems perfectly normal.

I'm a teacher and I love seeing the progerssion of the kindergarten work the teacher puts on display. At the beginning of the year not all of the kids can write their names, but it gets better as the months go on.


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## crl

DS could write his (very long) name without a model when he was 3.5 or so. But his preschool had the children "sign-in" everyday so he got a lot of practice.

He's known the alphabet for about that long too, I think. He learned what sounds most of the letters make at about the same time as the alphabet.

He is just now starting to sound words out, at age 6. But he also just started K, because we decided on an extra year of preschool. So no one has really tried to teach him to sound words out before this. He knows several sight words (and actually can spell most of the kids names from his preschool class last year and from K this year because he's way more interested in that than in words). According to his teacher he can read the easy reader books. I suppose he's doing some combination of sight words, sounding it out and guessing from context (words he does know and pictures).

Catherine


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## mamakay

Three.
DS "looked" like he was going to be gifted in the infant, toddler, and preschool years , but has panned out to be a wonderful, bright yet "normal" 6 yo.


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## mommy2maya

My dd2 is 3yr9m. She has know how to spell her name for about a year now, and can recognize it written, knows the letters of her name, and can point them out in other written language, but is just beginning to have the fine motor control to write her name legibly.

Fine motor control is the biggest part in the writing puzzle, especially if they already know teh letters of their name.


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## riverscout

Quote:


Originally Posted by *velochic* 
Dd was 6 months old when she picked up the pen for the first time to write her name.

Just kidding. I couldn't resist.

Given the rest of this thread and my sleep deprived state, I almost thought you were serious for a split second and was like "oh please!"









Anyway, my daughter is almost 4 and isn't writing her name. She knows the alphabet, can identify letters and some words (including her name), spells out her name all the time, asks me how to spell other words all the time, and knows what sounds many letters make. But she hasn't shown much interest in writing, so I haven't tried to teach her. My approach so far has just been to sort of let her absorb things as they come, help her with things she asks me to help her with, and leave the rest for later.


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## Delicateflower

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Cavy* 
The thread asked what is _average_, and where the child is able to sound the name out (actually has an idea what sounds each letter makes).

IME their name is a totally different situation than other words. They don't sound it out, but learn it as a whole word/sequence of letters.


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## mamakay

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Delicateflower* 
IME their name is a totally different situation than other words. They don't sound it out, but learn it as a whole word/sequence of letters.

Yeah, when my kid first did it, it was a surprise (he copied it).
I'm pretty sure it was more akin to the way Chinese kids copy Chinese words as symbols. (even though my kid could recognise most letters at that age, knew many of their sounds, and could sorta sound out a word every once in a while).


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## Polkadots

He was just over 2 years when he first wrote his name.


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## 4evermom

We'll skew the average here... Ds, 8, just asked me how to spell his name.









He's not in school so hasn't had the occasion to practice much. It isn't an important skill at the moment. He also has a long complicated name full of curved lines and angles. That, combined with an aversion to writing because of a bad school experience, has delayed this.

Of course, he could pick out his name out of a line up at age 4. He probably could have dictated the letters at that age, too. He knew his alphabet and the sounds of each letter at age 3. But he still didn't start reading until he was almost 8. Whatever.


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## 4evermom

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ecoteat* 
I think my dd may be gifted, and as I was reading this (now in the Childhood Years forum, not gifted) and was starting to wonder if I was in some parallel universe. Then I realized most of these posts happened in the gifted forum! Whew!

I didn't realize and was wondering the same thing!









But I do actually think my ds is gifted, despite his hesitance to write. The only typical characteristics of a gifted child that _don't_ fit him is early reading.


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## madskye

DD is 4.5 and can now write her name, herself, and knows the letters by heart. Her name Madeline. Last year, she had MAD down. We joked last year that we should have named her Ava because then she'd be set!


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## AbbieB

I'm a former K/1 teacher.

Most kids came to school knowing how to write their name. It was not type written neat. Sometimes some letters would get mixed up or forgotten. By December all could do it consistently.

I'm currently an unschooler.

DD started to want to write her name at 3 (Olivia). She got pretty good at it quickly, but all of those straight lines would sometimes get mixed up, as in she would dot the L so it would look like OiLvia or OLLvia or something like that.

She just turned 6 and she writes her name beautifully. She is also sounding out and writing lots of things. By sounding out I mean "mouse" = "ms".

She can spell many words that she has asked us to spell repeatedly. Things like Mommy, Sam, Daddy, Nana, Opa, love etc...


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## Surfer Rosa

I think there's a pretty broad range-3-5.

E could write her name (all caps) just before 3, and now at 4 can do all upper and lower case letters pretty adeptly. She knew all her letters quite early (ie by 2), but didn't start associating the sounds with the letters until she was 3. Now at 4 (in August)she can sound out words and writes short sentences like "the fat cat sat", or "we go to park" and words she comes across frequently.


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## emaye_to_2

I would guess the average is age 4. My DD is 3.5 years and has known the letters in her name since her bday. She just started writing her name by herself recently.


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## Elizabeth2008

I have no idea what average is. DS will be 4 in 3 months and he doesn't write his name at all. He was, however, talking in complete sentences at 18 months, so I think some kids just develop an interest in writing earlier than others. He's shown no interest in drawing "pictures" either and instead loves drawing lines and shapes with specific colors.

I also suspect that parental involvement plays a role in this one. I know some parents that actively encourage their babes to write letters, and hold their hand over theirs and practice, etc, quiz them on the alphabet, read a lot of alphabet books, etc. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that, it's just not the approach I've taken. I feel like it's a bit academic for age 3. I'd rather he spend time in the garden or building a fort. I've inquired a few times to see if he had an interest in learning to write his name and he says "no" pretty emphatically every time. He sees some other kids doing it in preschool so I figure if he was interested, he'd let me know. He'll do it when he's ready, and when he has an interest.


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## meemee

i have volunteered in 3 K classrooms in two years and only 3 or 4 kids in a class of 20 could really write their name, rather than draw it. however like pp said by end of the year most of them could really write their names.


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## Justmee

Rena has been writing her name correctly since she's about 4. Nechama usually gets it right. Rivka can't really yet. Here it is a 2nd year preschool skill (age 4 - 5). All their names are 4 letters in Hebrew.


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## JayGee

DD is 3.5 and cannot yet write he name. She can spell it out loud. She can recognize all the letters in it and knows when it's her hame written out. But her fine motor skills are SO not there yet







. DD1 wrote hers at 3 (but it's only 3 letters). DS was certainly 4, at least, as I recall.


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## Adasmommy

Dd is named Ada. When we have a son we plan to name him Cassidy. So I expect some variance!


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## SeekingSerenity

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Adasmommy* 
Dd is named Ada. When we have a son we plan to name him Cassidy. So I expect some variance!









Well, there might be some. I don't think it'll be that different though. Children adapt to the reality they're presented with, so if Cassidy doesn't think that his name is "long" or "hard," then he'll probably pick it up just as quickly as Ada did.

I say this because my parents made a big deal out of the fact that I tend to give my kids "long" names. _How will she ever learn to write that??_ was the response I got upon naming my first child Stephanie. Well, she did learn, and she was less than 3 when she got it. By comparison, my second child, Alexander, learned to write "Alex" but he was already well past 3. My fourth child goes by Tommy, and he could write that at 2.5, but by three he was writing all three of his names, Thomas Kieran plus his last name. Kid #5 is just now writing the shortened version of her name, Gabbi, and she turned 4 in September.

It depends on the child, too, of course.


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## laohaire

My kid is 4 and I don't consider her to have acheived this milestone yet. Her name has only four letters; she makes two of them perfectly but the lower case "e" is very hard for her. She is left-handed and I think the "e" kind of goes the "wrong" way for her natural left-handed movement.

As far as I can see, my kid is the last one her age to master this. I know people have said 4-5 but then they all said their kids did it at 2-3, and that's been consistent with my observation IRL as well. I have no doubt she'll pick it up in a few months, and I don't believe she has to be "ahead" to be "normal" but I think the reality is that most kids master this by age 3, and just as many do it by age 2 1/2 as do it by age 4.


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## loraxc

Quote:

I think the reality is that most kids master this by age 3, and just as many do it by age 2 1/2 as do it by age 4.
Oh, I quite strongly disagree. I really think this is a late 3/4yo skill for most kids. That was what we saw in DD's preschool for sure. I have known very few 2yos who could write their name. Some of the children in DD's K class are still working on it.

Perhaps you have a lot of smart friends with smart kids, or a lot of friends who emphasize this skill.


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## laohaire

Quote:


Originally Posted by *loraxc* 
Oh, I quite strongly disagree. I really think this is a late 3/4yo skill for most kids. That was what we saw in DD's preschool for sure. I have known very few 2yos who could write their name. Some of the children in DD's K class are still working on it.

Perhaps you have a lot of smart friends with smart kids, or a lot of friends who emphasize this skill.

Perhaps I do. I realized too late that my post might have come off wrong. I guess I'm just feeling a little defensive about my "late" kid maybe







And perhaps counterintuitively just trying to be un-defensive and "admit" my kid is "behind."


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## shanniesue2

I teach kindergarten... used to teach preschool. Average would be 4. Ive taught some kids who could write it at 3 and a few 5 1/2 year olds who couldn't.

In our state, the standard is to be able to write their first name by the end of pre-k and both first and last names by the end of kinder.

DS will probably take longer because his first name is 11 letters long...last name is 8 letters long

As for asking how to spell things... my experience is that the average is 4-5. In my class, I tell the kids to write the sounds they hear. I let the children use their own invented spelling in order to reinforce the letter-sound connections they are making. I'm not so worried about correct spelling at this age because spelling rules are so abstract, and I still get a lot of kids in kindergarten who are just learning their letters and letter sounds. Correct spelling just wouldn't be developmentally appropriate for them.


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## NicaG

My ds can write his name pretty well now. He's 4.5. I never pushed it, but they practice a little at preschool.


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## ktmama

My dd is 4 (in August) and has shown NO interest in writing her name. Granted, it's nine letters long. Plus, our last name is French with an accent too. Anyway, she is getting very interested in letters right now and can recognize and make all of the letters and can spell mama, papa and Lily. I've never pushed it or suggested she learn to spell her name. She's coming to it at her own pace. I'm sure she'll learn it eventually!


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## anne1140

I teach kindergarten, and about half come in not knowing how to write their names. By the end of kindergarten, they all do. So I'd say 4-5.


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## MacKinnon

My DD was writing her name all basic block letters- AVERY in capitals by about 3.5, she picked up her last name about a month into Kindergarten, it's 6 letters long with three curvy "hard" letters. She is just now mixing in some lower case letters at 5 1/2, as she learns them in Kindy. DS is 2 and 10 months and now can spell his name out loud and recognize it, but has no interest in working on writing it.

I taught preschool for years, much of it in a multi-age 3/4/5 room and I would say that most of the kids had a good grasp of their own name by 4. HOWEVER, for the vast majority of the kids it was not very legible. Clear legible name writing with proper upper and lower cases, I won't expect until end of Kindergarten, beginning of first.


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## caj

Celeste learned how to write her nickname "Cece" by age 3, but the e's looked all wrong but it was legible and by age 4 she could write her given name. She recently turned 5 and she's learning to write her complete name, her second name is long but she's doing well; the surnames are short so she's getting that right, but she's having trouble with her second name.


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## army92yspc

My daughter Lissianna could recite the letters of her name at 2.5 and could write it. & her last name from memory at rigjt befoew her 3rd bday & 2mos past 3 she can recite the letters to her firs name 2t middle names & last.


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