Learning to Write: Lexical and Grammatical Development

Lexical development refers to the growth of a child’s vocabulary over time. Children start to grasp vocabulary from their surrounding environment from the age of one. This process accelerates and by the age of six, they typically can understand around 10,000 words.
Around the age of two, children begin combining words into short, crude sentences, a stage referred to as Telegraphic Speech. For example, a child might say “Want juice” instead of using a complete sentence.
This initial, rudimentary sentence construction evolves as children grow, with the three-word stage usually appearing by the age of three. Children at this stage begin using more complex constructions, such as using prepositions and conjunctions, for example, “I and you” or “under the table”.
The process of grammatical development involves children learning about language rules and systems. This includes understanding tenses, plurals, and how sentences are structured. Initially, children may make errors as they generalize from specific examples, such as “runned” instead of “ran”.
As children continue to develop and refine their grammatical skills, they begin to use more complex sentences, including the use of subordinate clauses and a wider range of conjunctions. They will also start using passive voice, such as “The ball was kicked by me.”
Children develop their ability to write words around the age of four, with an understanding of phoneme-grapheme correspondences - the relationship between sounds and the letters that represent them - usually appearing by the age of five or six.
As they move through primary school, children will begin to demonstrate more sophisticated grammatical techniques in their writing. This includes the use of more complex sentence structures and a wider range of punctuation.
In the early stages of writing development, children’s texts are often characterized by simple sentences, lack of varied vocabulary, and repeated structures or phrases. With time, they begin to use more varied and sophisticated vocabulary and sentence structures.
Children also start to understand more about the pragmatics of writing - how context affects meaning. For example, they learn to adjust their writing style depending on the purpose and audience, such as writing a story versus writing a letter.
An important aspect of lexical and grammatical development is the ability to correct and proofread their own work. This encompasses knowledge of spelling, punctuation, grammar and the appropriate use of language in different contexts. This usually develops as an individual progresses through formal education.