What stage involves children scribbling and not yet recognizing letters?

The prephonetic spelling stage is characterized by children's initial engagement with writing, where they often express themselves through scribbling rather than forming recognizable letters or words. At this stage, children are exploring the act of writing but have not yet developed an understanding of the alphabetic principle, which links sounds to written symbols.

During this phase, they might use random marks or shapes and are not focused on conventional spelling or letter recognition. The primary focus is on the physical act of writing and creativity rather than on accurate representation. This stage is crucial as it lays the groundwork for future literacy development, allowing children to express thoughts and ideas non-verbally while they gain familiarity with the tools of writing.

In contrast, as children progress into semi-phonetic, phonetic, or transcription stages, they begin to make connections between sounds and letters, moving toward more structured writing and spelling practices.