How many summer-born 4 yrappear olds can write their name unsupervised?

[sharesinNivea]

I'm noticing many references in threads to Reception children age 4 even the summer-borns being able to write their first name, although it doesn't specify whether that's unsupervised.

Is this normal?

My June born Reception starter can recognise his first initial but he certainly can't write his whole name supervised or not.

Of course, it will be impossible to hear honest replies I suppose. Still, I'm curious.

[kelda]

I think it depends on the length of the name

[Periwinkle007]

mine can but I know others (not just summer borns) who struggle with pencil control and can't. AND it does depend on the name IMO. If a child is called Ben or Amy or Sid then that is going to be easier to write than Sheherazade or Balthasar isn't it.

I think on the whole they hope that children will be able to write their own name when they start school but not all will be able to for a variety of reasons.

[NickNacks]

Not sure what you mean by 'unsupervised' but both my boys could write their names before starting reception. (July boy has. 8 letters too )

Dd is 3.2 and can write her initial and sound out the other 4 letters.

[Panzee]

Mine can on the ipad but can't hold a pencil well.

[DeWe]

When my older one was at preschool they encouraged them to write their name by writing it in yellow felt tip and getting them to trace over the top, when they did a piece of artwork.
When they were confident, they encouraged them to copy it, or do it on their own.
Most could, using that method, write their name unsupervised a full year before starting school, and I don't know of any (excuding sn) that couldn't before they went to school.
They also taught them to recognise their names by all having a name badge that went on their chair at the end of the day and they had to recognise and sit on the chair as the parents came in.

In later years Ofsted told them they couldn't do that because they had to learn by letters rather than the whole word, so fewer children could manage it.

It also depends on the name. Certain letters are harder to write: e, s, are obviously harder than l and o. So you might find Pippa can write her name but Alexander-James still struggles for obvious reasons.

[sharesinNivea]

It's very interesting to learn that many pre-schoolers can write their whole name too a year before starting Reception! - my 4 year old cannot even hold a pencil in the proper manner yet.

[mistlethrush]

My (then 3 yo) DS was writing his name in nursery year - albeit mirror writing some of the time.

[Layl77]

Mine could at 2.5 when it was the shortened version i remember doing it at an open day...but at your child's age still struggled as we never taught the whole name - (ie could write Alex but never learned Alexander)
I taught by saying "line up, squiggle, big round, up down" etc as ds was still young but it will be better in reception as they'll be learning phonics and proper ways to write letters!

[noblegiraffe]

My August born reception DS can write his name unsupervised but not very well! His pen control isn't great and his letters are usually large and wobbly.

Some of the other children in his class are similar, others (mainly girls) are doing a beautiful, neat name.

He does play doh and Hama beads and threading to try to build up his motor skills and finger strength.

[kelda]

sharesinNivea I wouldn't worry so much about him writing his name just yet.

You can do many things with him to encourage his fine motor skills - playing with plasticine, painting, finger painting, cutting, sticking, making patterns in shaving foam. Does he draw at all? Make sure he has a thick pencil which is easier to hold. You can get special ergonomic pencils to improve pencil grip.

[flowery]

DS2 is just 4 and has been writing his name for about 8-9 months I think. However it is a very easy name to write, to be fair, only 4 easy letters, and until about 2/3 months ago he was still occasionally doing it backwards.

[mrsyattering]

My dd could read and write her name at 3.5/ 4, and has been very quick to read since starting school (now in P2) My ds 4 on the other hand recognises his initias, only and has no interest at all in reading and writing yet, he starts P1 in August, on registrering him for school HT said they do not expect them to be able to read or write before starting P1. They all learn at different rates, so don't worry

[MrsCakesPremonition]

DD wrote her name from about 2.5yo.
DS was writing his (short) nickname by 3yo and could write his full (long) name before he started school.

They both had continuous, free access to pencils, crayons and paper and spent ages pottering round scribbling writing nonsense notes from which letters eventually emerged.

[Southpaws]

My 3.5 year old can write her own name unsupervised, but puts the dot of the 'i' at the bottom of the stick rather than the top

She has just picked it up really easily for some reason, but none of her pals can so I wouldn't worry at all.

[ShoeWhore]

I've got 3 summer born boys. Two could write their names before starting school, one couldn't.

[ReallyTired]

dd learnt to write her name at 3 years 3 months. She has a six letter name. Ds could not write his name until he was five and half. He could write his name using magnetic letters from three years old. (Again he had a six letter name)

[Hawkmoth]

Not a chance. He can't hold a pen properly and hasn't even chosen a hand yet. He is writing the first letteron pieces of paper though so it's a start. August born.

[itscockyfoxagain]

It depends on the child, when my August born DS was 4 in reception he didn't even know which hand he wrote with and switched between the two. His name had 4 letters he knew which oneshe needed but his attempts were almost illegible. He had a big vocabulary and spoke in complex sentences
DD is in nursery turned 4 this week and has been able to write her name independently for 6 months or so. However she has a speech delay and is hard to understand when she speaks if you don't know her well.
It's all swings and roundabouts.

[Littleredsquirrel]

Both of mine could write their names unsupervised prior to starting reception. DS2 is a late summer baby. They could both read too.

having said that DS2 is now in year 2 and writing is not one of his strong points.

[supergreenuk]

Try not to worry. All children are different and will excel in some things and be slower at others. If your worried talk to there teacher.

[missorinoco]

A few years ago when my summer born 4 year old was starting school I snorted with laughter at the idea he sign a form school had sent home, and told him to put a cross on the line.

My summer born 4 year old daughter started school this year. She signed it without blinking.

No difference in parenting. Poor DC2 probably gets less attention than DC1 did.

[AstonishingMouse]

My DS1 couldn't at all. I remember all the children had drawn a picture of themselves and written their names underneath. His was one of the few illegible ones in the class.
He could write it very neatly by the end of the year.

[Sunshinelaulau]

My August born ds2 can, 5 letter name, he can also write simple words using the phonics technique like is, at, pen, spoon, moon etc he can read these words as well in a story.. It took my ds1 a lot longer but he had multiple medical issues so i put it down to that. My July born dnephew can't write his easy 4 letter name though so depends entirely on the child.. I wouldn't worry about it

[MagratGarlik]

One winter born ds could write his name before he started school. One summer born ds who could not - he just didn't have the fine motor skills, but otoh his numeracy was superb before he started school.

Different children will develop different skills at different rates. I really wouldn't worry about it, 4 years old is really just tiny and in Scandinavia children won't have started formal schooling at this age yet.

[Sillybillybob]

DS is 4 but born in September so starting school next year but only by a matter of a couple of days.

He hasn't yet decided on a hand, cannot hold a pen properly. Can recognise but not write the first letter of his name. He can do the second letter oddly enough but there's another 4 after that...