The theme of this essay is literacy training in pre-school. The theme takes it starting point in a project, where my colleagues and I noticed our children playing with writing and symbols. It leads to an exciting, reflecting and developing project, a project that will go on for six months together with twenty children in the age of five and six.

The essay describes how I and the rest of the staff work with the project, and also how we try to find challenges that are meaningful for our children. When we worked with the project I ended up in a dilemma how I as a teacher was to retain the children’s joy and curiosity for writing without making it boring. How shall I as a teacher behave in this matter? Is there any right or wrong here?

The research authorities in this field agree on a number of things: They agree about the importance of literacy training in pre-school. The learning should be playful in a meaningful context. The scientists also agree that self-esteem is important for the children when they are writing. If the pre-school works with self-esteem in different ways, and also with a positive reinforcement combined with an inspiring environment, this can prevent difficulties in school with writing and reading. But literacy training in pre-school seems difficulties according the scientists, which I illustrate in my essay. The essay also describes three girls writing in different ways according to the theories of the scientists. I describe literacy training and also place high emphasis on the influence of the pre-school environment. I also place emphasis on the importance of the knowledge and the pedagogical approach of the teacher.