childs handwriting

Poppy9

I've posted before that my DD now 14 had issues with her handwriting getting worse.

In reception and Y1 her handwriting was progressing well but in Y2 it got worse as the year went on. Her teacher seemed unconcerned but DD was embarassed by it. I asked the teacher for a lined handwriting book and did 10 minute sessions with DD a few times a week. Part of the issue was DD was slow writing because she was left handed and smudged and so it became scruffy the more she hurried.

When she moved into Y3 I raised the issue with her new teacher who agreed her handwriting was below the standard she expected for DD ability. The incentive in Y3 for all the class was to reach a sufficient standard to be able to use a pen in class. This motivated DD and she had her precious pen about April.

By the end of Y3 her poem was chosen for the summer fete programme and so many people came onto us to compliment her on her lovely neat handwriting. It continued to improve and is absolutely fine now.

I did buy some hand hugger pens which are recommended for lefties and these helped. I also made sure DD asked when she moved to a new class or place to sit on the end of the table so no clashing arms.

If your DD is a day dreamer ask the teacher to think about where and who she sits by. A window seat might encourage daydreaming, as might noisy or too quiet desk companions.

Handwriting has little to do with intelligence. I remember seeing the writing of a 6 year old classmate of DD who needed 1:1 help as she struggled with most subjects. She had handwriting an adult would have died for, it was so lovely and perfectly formed. She was also a very talented artist.

webitha

she does not struggle with any subjects, her teacher enjoys their, discussions as they are alway thought out and well spoken
lol at the dr jibe, she does want to be a dentist does that count lol
she does sit by the window, i might ask for her teacher to move her
and i get all three kids an annual eye test at my opticians, they all have perfect eyesight so the optician only wants to see them once a year

jellyhead

Out of noseyness is she in year 2 or 3? Our school only gives the little ones an afternoon playtime.

barnaby-bear

webitha wrote: »

i thank you all for your replies and i really do appriciate them
she is not left handed, and i t was me that suggested that she loses her playtimes, (only the afternnon one) to catch up, she doesnt need one to one teaching according to all her teachers past and present,
she has said that she is bored so her teacher has asked for work from thee higher classes, she enjoyed that but once its done she, goes back into her air head world.
i know she is only a baby but i still need to read her homework etc, and at the mo i cant,
she had to write a project for something she is interested in over the easter hols, naturally she picked MCFLY the only thing that keeps her interest lol, she got all the info spend hours trawling and put it roughly, when she came o doing it in her neat writing, i couldnt read it it was that bad

sounds like she should consider a career in medicine.....

Toothsmith

webitha wrote: »

lol at the dr jibe, she does want to be a dentist does that count lol

There's no hope for her!

mrcow

looby75 wrote: »

just wanted to say a big thank you for that link. My ds handwriting is horrendous, we have tried everything to help him improve but he loses interest very quickly, so I'm planning on copying out some of his doctor Who comic stories for him to write down. That site is going to make it so much easier

Snap! Loving that site!

I've just printed off the "Great Fire of London" workbook. My son is going to love it.

He actually asked me for handwriting practice today(!). His work can sometime look like a dead spider in its death throes after falling in some ink.

It really gets to me that the school don't push him to take more care - if he tries he can do it. It's almost like they don't care. But if he's not pushed to improve, then how will he ever develop good habits with his presentation?

ailuro2

We had this with our DD, it was the way she held her pencil - her thumb was obscuring her view from what she was writing - she could write her name blindfolded almost as well as she could normally.;)

Instead of sitting her down and making her write for hours, we bought her a calligraphy set, and taught her to slow down, think about it, that writing can be beautiful, that good pen /pencil control can help your artwork too.;) She made some lovely card with h er set, beautiful writing and patterns down the side. She still sneaks her thumb out but at least she knows what happens when she does, and her teacher no longer complains about her writing.
iirc DD was 7 or 8 when she went through this phase.

bestpud

Sounds as though she is simply a bit fed up of writing neatly. If she is bored as well, you can see how staring out of the window is an attractive option.

DD1 always had appalling handwriting but it was because her brain went faster than her hand could write! She is 16 now and has lovely writing.

DD2 has only just started to write neatly as she simply couldn't be bothered before.

I'd be more worried about it going downhill though....

Maybe just ignore it for now and see if the 'novelty' wears off, as you are not worried about her developmentally and know her sight is fine?