Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

DS8 t - reluctant to write or do English work

7 replies

openallthetime · 20/01/2021 13:18

My DS8 seems to have a mental block around writing, particularly around English work - creative writing - and even just handwriting or general writing. His handwriting could do with improvement and I get him to do some handwriting practice. His school work though it is like trying to get water from a stone!! He walks off, draws pictures, refuses to write. He's a good reader, good at maths etc etc. Just seems to have a block about writing.

It's driving me a bit nuts and whilst I try to show understanding cannot help but snap at his refusal to engage. Does anyone have any tips or tricks or even general advice?

OP posts:
KihoBebiluPute · 20/01/2021 19:41

DS age11 is similar. Bribery helps a bit. Explaining why being able to write is important helps a bit. It remains like getting blood out of a stone though.

Thorilicious · 20/01/2021 19:44

Very similar battle here. Ds worked so hard on his writing before Christmas, and while home schooling, the standards are slipping. He refuses, and I then get frustrated, because I know he can do it.
It's difficult, as his home is his safe place, so trying to switch it into an environment where he feels like he's at school isn't happening.

WintryShowers · 20/01/2021 19:54

Would he type his work or dictate it.
Handwriting practice for handwriting, but what’s the point of the other tasks? If it’s creative writing, then it doesn’t have to be handwritten.
Does he know how to plan a story?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Lovingmylife · 20/01/2021 19:57

We play consequences. That helps as they are playing and writing but don't see it as work. It's about keeping the skill of writing from a physical perspective.

Bearnecessity · 20/01/2021 20:17

Can you make it a game 2 minutes set up , set a timer for 5 mins both write what you can in 5 mins. Must include two adjectives, a joke, a fronted adverbial.Writing must be good enough for the other person to be able to read out loud.

Wombatstew · 21/01/2021 06:47

My son is also 8 and a reluctant writer. I think it’s mostly hand strength (and lack of interest ). I have been asking him to do 8 mins of copywork from a book he chooses. That way he only has to concentrate in forming his letters and building his strength .
I am planning on doing one piece of writing work with him a week where I will write and we will both come up with ideas. On topics he is interested in. We did our first one today and he needed a lot of help but hopefully the prompting will get less.

He also liked the game where I wrote a sentence on a piece of paper, fold it over, he adds one and folds it and so on.

openallthetime · 21/01/2021 12:35

thank you all, some great ideas here!!

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page