Factors associated with variations in toddlers and preschoolers emergent writing and drawing skills were the focus of a research synthesis including 13 studies of 491 children between 24 and 67 months of age. Results showed that the use of magic markers, structured activities, and verbal prompts influenced the children's emergent writing skills and that when the interventions were conducted over multiple sessions, the interventions had value-added effects. The factors that were associated with the children's emergent writing skills differed from those in a research synthesis of infants and younger toddlers which suggested the need for careful attention to the intervention characteristics used to promote writing and drawing for children of different ages. Implications for practice are described. (author abstract)