Improve writing Basics- feedback from teacher

[MommyG]

Does anyone know how best to improve on the basics of writing - Yr4? DS is assessed as below average and the teacher has asked us to do something about it. She suggested working with some books from WH Smith etc.. but I really dont know which ones.

I'm looking for something that he can regularly work with. It is quite difficult to convince him to do any literacy, since he doesnt enjoy it at all. So sometimes, even I give up persuading. So I was looking for some external regular help. Kumon English is one option, but I've been reading posts that it is very repetitive and kids develop a dislike to it.. thats the last thing I want, as he already doesnt show any interest in his literacy.

Is there any other online resource that I subscribe to - something regular like worksheets etc that will get his basics correct?

Many thanks

[mrz]

Kumon won't help long term and could as you recognise have a negative effect. For what it's worth I think worksheets would probably have the same outcome.
Has the teacher given any indication of what the problem is other than "improve basics"? which honestly isn't helpful.

[IndigoBell]

Yes - does she mean Handwriting? Punctuation? Grammar? Spelling?

[thisisyesterday]

maybe he just needs more time.
maybe right now he isn't ready to do it.
if he really doesn't enjoy it then pushing him to do more will make him hate it even more.

i would leave it and let him develop in his own time tbh. if he is up for doing workbooks and stuff then great, but if not i just woldn't push it

[MommyG]

By basics she means all of these really: handwriting/punctuation/ grammar and spellings .. He is quite ok with reading - but even there, he has to be forced to read..never gets a book out on his own.

I dont want to just let it go.. I've done that until now thinking it will improve.. but I dont see any change really, which is why I want to see if I could do anything about it. Actually the teacher even suggested Kumon, but I'm not very sure about it.

[mrz]

TRY

[mrz]

and HERE

[mrz]

HERE

[mrz]

I don't think you can let it go at Y4 hope he finds the games engaging. For handwriting I'm afraid there isn't a substitute for practise but he needs to start in the correct place and form the letters correctly. It is possible to see an improvement in a week with short daily input.
I ask my class to copy out a short poem in their best handwriting and display it on the wall (fridge) practise every day for a week then copy the same poem and compare. With a class there is a prize for the most improved but you could give a small prize if there is some improvement as an incentive.

[sarahfreck]

If his handwriting is very poor, you might try the "write from the start" programme. I am a tutor using it very sucessfully with a Yr 4 boy at the moment. It has "exercises" that cover all the skills required for handwriting, but you practice them separately and build up. It is a bit pricy but worth it I think, especially if he isn't responding to just "ordinary" practice of handwriting.

[MommyG]

oh thank you so much mrz. I will try them out. Yesterday, I read out a paragraph for him from his reading book - luckily he did it with great enthusiasm. His handwriting is not very bad actually, but he does take time to produce that kind of handwriting. Will see how it goes.
Am going to try out the games with him. Will let you know how it goes.

[mrz]

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/starship/parents/onlinegames_english.shtml

[mrz]

With my class I do lots of dictation and we make boring sentences into super sentences by adding and changing words.
Your son might like "rainbow Writing" writing each sentence in a new colour to encourage using full stops exclamation /question marks followed by a capital letter - it just makes it more visible for him really.
I use lots of ideas from Pie Corbett
www.everybodywrites.org.uk/writing-games/details/games-to-establish-a-creative-mood/

www.learning-works.org.uk/index.php?id=566

[marmitesoldiersrus]

VCOP and Big writing? Great! we love the talk homework apart from the arguments over the supper table. I just wonder whether they all do it?

[zenlikecalm]

Mine have loved BigWriting at school too.

We've (age 7 and 10) tried lots of things including Kumon, but the one that suits them and me best is Explore Learning, if you have one near, they go into a tutoring centre and I go shopping. It costs, as does Kumon, but is less of a load on Mum. They take Childcare Vouchers if you've got those. So I take and collect them but don't get ALL the blame for making them do extra school work. They have got to like it more and more.

It's computer based but they still cover handwriting and have a person working with them.

I don't work for this place!

I won't try a link

www.explorelearning.co.uk/

[mrz]

I'm a fan of Big Writing but it needs to carry a health warning in that if not taught well it can create Bad Writing too.

[unmumsy]

When i was at school I was told to read,read,read, to help my punctuation etc. Would joke books,comics,pc games like the Jump ahead series,writing a diary or interest scrap book help at all? The bbc schools website has some punctuation games too.
Good luck!