ABSTRACT
Punctuation is a very strange object for beginning writers and readers. It consists of a variety of often very tiny, almost invisible marks that do not seem to make any difference to their reading and writing. As most teachers will recognise, young children have a wonderful capacity to write without using punctuation and then read aloud their writing perfectly. However, along come teachers and tell them that they have to use these minute marks and teachers do so with copious reminders and much red ink. But, as so many teachers will testify, children often manage to carry on ignoring punctuation, leaving teachers tearing their hair in exasperation. In this chapter I want to explore why punctuation often makes no sense to beginning writers and readers and examine some strategies that might help children develop an understanding of punctuation that is more meaningful and useful to them.
