Closing the gap between reading and writing

[COCKadoodledooo]

Ds1 is 7 and just coming to the end of year 2. We got his report home today and we (and he!) are very chuffed with it! There's a huge discrepancy between the levels he's scored in reading and writing though.

At parents' evening it was noted he was 'not keen on writing', but no real comment was made on how they'd work on improving that, aside from sticking his butt to the chair and making him get on with it. I try to encourage him to write stuff at home but I don't want to turn it into a battle.

He has such a brilliant imagination and a thirst for knowledge, but he'd far rather type Word docs or do Powerpoint presentations of stuff he's found out than write about it.

Is there anything we can do to help him or is it a case of it'll come good eventually? Any ideas gratefully received!

Levels are writing 2a (2c this time last year) and reading 4c (3c this time last year)

[moondog]

Get him to write a sentence a night as a diary-what he has been doing.
Look over it with him, then copy it out neatly yourself, correcting any errors and get him to copy it out 10 times.
This is what i do with my ds (same age and year) every night and it has made a huge difference.

You need to be consistent.

[BusterGut]

Forgive me, but I find it very surprising that a 6 or 7 year old can fulfil all these 4C criteria in reading:

I can workout a characters? motives and feelings.
I can quote relevant words and phrases from text.
I can recognise a viewpoint in fiction.
I can recognise and describe the overall structure of a plot. I can argue my point of view about a text.
I can identify imagery and figurative language, and recognise ideas and themes within a text. I can recognise the techniques that an author has used.
I can give a reasoned overview of a piece of fiction text.
I can locate and use several information sources.
I am beginning to select and summarise text?s key points / annotate texts. I can read some Year 5 Key Words correctly all the time.

If his reading has been overassessed, his writing level may look a bit more acceptable.

[mrz]

www.everybodywrites.org.uk/writing-games/details/writing-games/

www.everybodywrites.org.uk/writing-games/details/sentence-games/

www.everybodywrites.org.uk/writing-games/details/creative-games-from-stories/

[COCKadoodledooo]

Moondog the diary is a great idea, thanks. Getting him to write a sentence more than once though sounds like the stuff of nightmares!

I have no idea if he even 'needs' to improve his writing at this stage, given that the report says that "Level 2 is the nationally expected level of achievement for children at End of Key Stage 1".

BusterGut that is what it says on the report, I had (until I read your list) no idea of what it meant, but yes, I'd say he can do that. He just can't/won't write about it afterward! I certainly recognise some of your list from his half-termly targets sheets. According to the report, his 'next step is to identify the language the writer has used to create moods and build up tension'.

His science is graded level 2 - I know I sound like a boastful/pushy parent here, but I know it's better than that (his practical skills are great, he understands a huge amount of what his dad teaches - secondary science - already, and has hugely detailed conversations with him about it), but clearly his reluctance to put pen to paper is reflected in that.

Thanks for those links Mrz, we shall take a look at them together.

[moondog]

Well Cock, if he writes something small about what he likes or somethnig that has happened to him, you are tapping into his interests.

Re doing it ten times, my ds knows the quicker he does it, the quicker he can leave. He also konws that things like dvds and stories aren't going to happen unlress he does it. I often make a game of it and set it against a timer, so he enjoys trying to beat it.

I doubt this takes us longer than 10-15 minutes.

[rabbitstew]

Is it possible for there to be such a large discrepancy between reading and writing? I thought at least some of the reading level assessment must be done through written answers to questions?????

[Feenie]

Being a level 2a writer wouldn't prevent a child from writing 4c answers.

[mrsbaffled]

My DS (just 7) is level 3s in everything except writing where he is 2c. The teacher has requested a dyslexia assessment for him because of the discrepancy between writing and everything else. i am not suggesting that your DS has this, just that in my DS's case it explains the difference.

His problems in writing have not held him back in science etc .

[rabbitstew]

That's interesting - so reading SATs really don't require much writing, then, or am I underestimating the achievement of getting a level 2a in writing? (I admit I probably set rather adult standards when it comes to this sort of thing, as I've never seen a SATs paper, never bothered to read through what each level means in terms of attainment and don't have anything other than my dss' work to assess what a child of 6 might be capable of, and they aren't really a good benchmark!).

[Feenie]

Don't forget that in Y2 it's a teacher assessment, not simply a test. Lots and lots of evidence is required to assess that 4c, not just the narrow snapshot of a test.

[rabbitstew]

I know it's not simply a test, I just presumed a reasonable amount of the evidence would come from written work. Can most of it come from talking through the text with the teacher, if the child's writing ability is not so good?

[Feenie]

Loads of it would, yes. But a 2a in writing wouldn't hamper any written answers.

[madhattershouse]

My ds has dysgraphia...normally notable by the difference in reading and writing ability. At your ds's age his reading is above the norm, as my sons was. The main problem he has that although he can tell you the answers he goes totally blank if you ask him to write anything down. He can be frustrated and/or totally lacking in interest in any subject that requires written work. Keep an eye on progress, if the writing does not improve ask the school for him to be seen by the school doctor and senco. It may well not be this but early detection means he will get help sooner, before writing really hampers progress!