Dreadful handwriting concern...

cricketballs, it is not downto the government who uses a laptop in exams , it is the exam board and very unlikely it will change in time to affect a 13yr old.

Does your ds touchtype op, that would help establish his normal use and if he doesn't then a laptop may well not help his working to time anyway. ds did his 13+ entry exams on a laptop (with support of EP assessment) but now year 9 is back to writing in class for the time being and seems to be doing ok so far. Can you get him assessed by an OT in US on your health insurance as it will take a while if you leave it until you come back and he can improve his strength, grip and positionng in the meantime on their advice.

but there must be an underlying SEN issue/condition to enable the laptop use to go through. If it was that easy, everyone will be pushing to use them in exams.

Also, you need to consider how the exam ethos is changing; I honestly believe that if this government continues with its changing of everything that they may try to withdraw support in exams (or at least curtail how much support/extra time is given)

DS's handwriting was always a running joke at parents' evenings but because he was in the gifted & talented group no action was taken by his primary school.

When I raised my concerns with a teacher in Y9 I was referred to the SENCO who arranged for him to be assessed. He was diagnosed with hypermobility but I was told because of his age there was little that could be done to improve his handwriting as his 'style' was already established.

Arrangements were made for him to have 25% extra time in exams and he wrote his answers on wider ruled paper. He ended up with 15 GCSEs and 4 A2s so the exam marker must've been able to decipher his scrawl and he's now in his 2nd year at uni. He did have to be reassessed for the extra time to be allowed for uni exams.

Good luck with your uphill battle, feminine - I can't say it will be easy. Don't feel you have damaged him by living abroad - hopefully you will see that the advantages outweigh his poor handwriting. I know I do.

I will also say to keep up your interest. A lot of people will poo-poo handwriting and spelling in this computer age - but they still are really important.

That's not true, cricket.

The major criterion for using a laptop in exams is using them in lessons for the year or two leading up to GCSEs.

It is very easy to be granted permission to use a laptop.

hes a boy! The vast majority of boys have terrible handwriting (my own included!) Unless there is an underlying condition there will not be any allowance in external exams to allow the use of a laptop, therefore I would suggest a lot of practice....

It is very straightforward to be allowed to use a laptop in exams, as long as he usually uses it in lessons.

As has been mentioned, a scribe is a possibility, but, IME, reasonably clever kids do not make much use of their scribe.

I think a laptop can be great for exams with lots of writing, but hard for Science and Maths, where there are calculations. He really does have to try to tackle his handwriting. He should get to an acceptable standard if he puts his mind to it (ie legible and not too big as to overflow the space on the exam paper) - it doesn't have to be beautiful.

You could ask the school to make handwriting one of his targets when they are assessing his work, and reward him yourself now and again. I don't think you should make him practise handwriting as a stand alone, or use it as any kind of punishment. Low key and consistent is what you should aim for.

My DS (now 17) also suffers from poor handwriting which I feel originates from having spent 4 years in the US at a crucial time - moving from UK cursive to US cursive and then back again. It didn't look too bad when he was little but now it is awful. He doesn't use a laptop in school as it is legible but not pretty.

If you are really concerned contact the SENCO at your new school in the UK. My DCs both have handwriting problems and use Alphasmarts/laptops where possible in class, Final exams are NOT always handwritten. DD sat several GCSEs and ALL her A level papers on a laptop. If handwriting is extremely bad there is also potential for a scribe to be used.

Final exams are hand written. Maths will always be hand written. (unless of course he is assessed and found to have a condition that requires use of an alpha smart - laziness won't be a reason!)

Ffew schools have the level of funding that allows swathes of PC suites. Some do, but they are few and far between.

Could you buy an ink pen and a calligraphy book and take it to that extreme? So that he can see how beautiful and artistic handwriting can be?
Calligraphy was done by monks and also associated with meditation and a calm spirit. Could be good for the soul to have time away from bloody computers?

Coursework has been replaced by controlled assessments which take place during class time.

Unless the teacher books a computer room, these will generally be handwritten.

If he uses a laptop in lessons, the school will be able to apply for him to use a laptop in exams.