Ideas to help an older child learn to write

Corelli

You are so right about not making him go back and correct the entries in his scrapbook. You do want him to be enthusiastic about the activities. I remember my daughter learning to write, she always started from the bottom up which made her letter formation wobbly. so, we stopped writing for a while and did lots of pencil/ letter formation activity games that involved a top to bottom movement. I seem to recall lots of 'making it rain' on top of existing pictures, but not a lot of what else we did.

I'm wondering if you could do something like that with individual letters.

My son was another who hated to be formally taught anything at a younger age, he would watch and eventually get it. Maybe writing with your son will be similar to how his reading progressed.

IMO sticking to games and fun activities will keep his enthusiasm high. How about a sort of treasure hunt with a rectangular card with a letter on it, with a clue on the back to go somewhere to get a treat. Then cut it up in such a way that he has to really look at the way the letter is formed to put it together and read the clue on the back? Mine also enjoyed writing with their finger in salt on a tray, but you've already had suggestions like that.

Other ideas. Short messages to go in a letter box to a very fussy teddy. Fussy teddy gets very happy with a correctly written word ... then it's not YOU correcting him. writing individual letters very large in the air .... writing letters on each others backs and identifying them. Start with easy ones like O. Does he like to dance? Make dance movements for letters that he reverses so it becomes a whole body learning. It is quite a normal process for letters to be reversed and made a little unconventional for a while, I can't remember how old you said your boy is, but how does he compare to his peers?

It is good that he enjoys written communication and reading, I'm sure with the support you are giving him he will get his letters right in the end.

Savvy_Sue

I agree, don't make him go back and correct things.

Is what he writes comprehensible? If it isn't get him to read what he thinks he's written. Don't pass comment on how it's written, congratulate him for what he's written.

If you think about it, fluency in reading comes from recognising whole words rather than spelling out individual letters. If your son's writing whole words, congratulate him for that and don't fret about some of the letters being the wrong way round.