Did You Know? Colouring Supports Early Literacy!
When my son Anthony was little, he was my whole world—my tiny microcosm for observing life, childhood, and the incredible way minds grow when nurtured with presence and patience.
Today, Anthony is stepping into adulthood and lives on his terms. He's independent, kind, and thoughtful. But I still remember his small hands gripping crayons with surprising seriousness, how he'd tilt his head while concentrating on filling in a corner of a drawing. It wasn't just cute—it was fascinating. Although I didn't realise it then, those quiet colouring sessions laid the groundwork for something much more profound: his love for learning, creating, and eventually—for telling his own stories.
I'm sharing a few things I've learned about colouring and early literacy through research and lived experience. If you're a parent, caregiver, or educator, you might be sitting on one of the most straightforward and powerful tools for your child's development.
🎨 1. Fine Motor Skills: The First Scribbled Step Toward Writing
Watching Anthony colour was like watching his muscles learn a new language. The crayon became an extension of his hand—sometimes wild, sometimes careful—and slowly, his grip strengthened with each line.
He wasn't just filling in shapes. He was strengthening the tiny muscles that one day would hold a pencil and form his name, then whole sentences, and now, emails I sometimes receive from cities far away.
Try this: Offer colouring pages with letters and shapes—they're sneaky little workouts for growing hands.
🖋️ 2. Hand-Eye Coordination: Beyond the Lines
Anthony loved colouring animals—lions, elephants, turtles with mismatched feet. His early masterpieces were more abstract expressionism than realism, but he always tried to stay "inside the lines." That effort that focuses—it was his brain practising coordination.
It may seem small, but this skill connects directly to reading and writing. Later, he'd use that same coordination to space his letters properly, trace lines of text, and follow along in books we read together.
📚 3. Letter & Word Recognition: A is for...Anthony
One of my favourite memories is colouring alphabet pages with him. I'd say, "A is for apple!" and he'd giggle, "And for Anthony" It became a game—and a lesson.
When children colour-themed pages with letters or simple words, they associate sounds with shapes. It's early literacy in its purest, most joyful form.
Try this: Use printable alphabet colouring sheets. You might be surprised by the stories they spark.
🤔 4. Focus & Attention Span: Slowing Down to Speed Up Learning
Colouring gave Anthony space to slow down. Those 15 quiet minutes at the table were golden in a world of noise and overstimulation. He learned how to start something and see it through—how to sit with a task, even when it wasn't perfect.
That patience helped him later in school when he had to sit still and follow a story or complete writing tasks step by step.
🤝 5. Creativity & Storytelling: The Picture Was Only the Beginning
Sometimes, when he finished a drawing, Anthony would point to the rainbow tiger or flying elephant and say, "This one is on his way to the moon." And just like that, we were telling stories.
Colouring is a doorway to storytelling. It teaches kids that what they imagine can be brought to life—described, shared, and expanded. It's literacy not just of the written word but of expression.
Tip: After your child finishes colouring, ask, "What's happening in this picture?" You'll probably get a story. You should write it down together.
🌈 Colouring: More Than Just Crayons and Paper
Looking back, "I realise how much those little moments mattered. Colouring wasn't a filler activity—it was a foundation. Anthony's confidence with words, his steady hand when drawing or writing, and his ability to focus and imagine began with something as simple as a box of crayons and some quiet time.
So, if you're ever wondering whether colouring "counts," let me assure you: it does.
Art, therapy, early literacy, and love are all wrapped into one simple, beautiful activity".
Take it from a mother who's watched it unfold, one crayon stroke at a time.
Bibliography
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Janah, Sinta Miftakhul.
“Coloring Activities to Develop Fine Motor Skills in Children Aged 5–6 Years.”
Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Early Childhood and Primary Education (ICECPE 2022), European Union Digital Library (EUDL), 2022.
https://eudl.eu/pdf/10.4108/eai.26-11-2022.2339373 -
American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT).
“Quantifying Coloring Skills Among Preschoolers.”
AJOT, Volume 78, Issue 3, 2024.
DOI: 10.5014/ajot.2024.041234 -
Indah, Purnamasari Dwi & Sumarni.
“Fine Motor Stimulation of Children Through Coloring Activities in Early Childhood.”
Journal of Education and Human Development, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidenreng Rappang, 2022.
Available on: ResearchGate -
Colour Me Kids.
“The Role of Colouring in Early Childhood Development.”
Colour Me Kids Blog, 2021.
https://colourmekidsstore.com/blogs/news/the-role-of-colouring-in-early-childhood-development