In this paper we aim at analyzing the modes of differentiation in children’s writing development during the presyllabic phase that, in the theoretical framework developed by Ferreiro and Teberosky, comes before the discovery of sound correspondance. Seventeen Italian children were interviewed seven times during the implementation of research on «Educational Continuity» between «scuola materna» and primary school. We first examine how minimum quantity and internal variation rules appear in Italian children as organizing principles for controlling quantity and quality of writing, and as necessary conditions for the differentiation process. Starting from this, it is possible to find two differentiation modes in writing; aformal one, and a mode in which some type ofexternal referent is used (meaning or object features). For most children the two modes are alternatives, and passing from one to another is a possible but not necessary step. The external group (which is older) has significantly less quantity repertoire than the formal one: this can explain why looking for an external point of reference can be an outcome of the child’s formal research for differentiating writings.

On se propose d’apporter quelques éclaircissements sur les modes de différentiation qui caractérisent la production d’écritures d’enfants pendant la phase dite pré-syllabique qui, dans le cadre théorique developpé par Ferreiro et Teberosky, précède la découverte de la correspondance sonore. Dix-sept enfants ont été interviewés sept fois dans une recherche longitudinale de «continuité éducative» entre école maternelle et primaire. En premier lieu, on examine comment — dans ce groupe d’enfants italiens — s’actualisent les principes de «quantité minimale» et de «variation interne» en tant que principes organisateurs de la quantité et de la qualité des lettres et en tant que conditions nécessaires pour que le processus de différentiation puisse démarrer.