Writing Before Reading?

So I'm doing dishes tonight and David wants me to make a grocery list. I've developed the somewhat bad habit of actually making illustrated grocery lists for the kids; they can't read, I can draw. So I'll sketch an onion, some broccoli, a wedge of cheese, this sort of thing, and hand the list to them so they can order me around the grocery store. (This makes the trip far more acceptable to them, and I don't give a d*mn, as long as we get food!) So. David wants me to make a list. I'm elbow-deep in dirty dishes.
"Buddy, I can't right now," I tell him. "Why don't you find me a piece of paper to make the list on? I'll get to it after I'm done here."

He obediently trots off and finds a piece of paper that's actually blank on one side (you have to struggle to find that in this house!). I tell him it's perfect, he asks if I'm done, I say no. He asks what we need.
"Bananas?" he says hopefully. "Apples? Grapes?"
"Sure," I tell him. "But I was thinking about Costco. We need soap there for sure."
"Any food dere?"
"Well...uh...yeah, smoothies. Stuff like that."

He disappears. I continue washing. Pretty soon a little voice comes calling from the living room.

"Mommy? What ledder makes the /oo/ sound?"
This makes sense, we talked about the /oo/ sound in Phonics today. Zoo, balloon, igloo, mushroom, shoe, etc.
"Sometimes two O's together make the /oo/ sound, but there are other letter combinations that do, too."
"OK!"

After awhile he shows up again and says, "Look, Mommy! I made you a list! See?"

David doesn't write yet. He's only written his first name, and I've had him practice some select letters: B, D, E, F, M, N, P, R. That's it. He has never, ever attempted to write something on his own before.

This is "Smoothie." Makes total sense...I think the "M" is sideways. (He also makes his "A" and "V" completely upside-down when he writes his name.) I see "SMOOVE" here.



This is "Milk." Less clear, other than the big "M."

And this critter is "Yogurt." I think that first "Y" really got him going, so he started over, then got really creative with how to order the letters. I'm guessing this is "YORT."


I'm thoroughly impressed with his attempts to spell! He hasn't even really started reading yet. Well...I have to take that back. We were at Target one day and there was a decoration there covered with snowmen, and I showed it to him. "What's dat?" he asked. "Ice?"
"Those are letters," I said, pointing to each one. "S-N-O-W."
He blinked.
"SNOW!" He shouted happily.