DD is 5 and this is her handwriting...

[SwingingCatsAround]

... It's shockingly bad.

She was 5 in December. Her reading is much higher level.

I'm not concerned about the mirror letter/spelling, but the construction if the letters.

We're trying to get her better, but she will resist writing at any opportunity, gets cross if we ask her to correct her grip.

She has strong fingers and good fine motor (sews with tapestry needles, can do buttons up etc) she plays with play doh, tongs, tweezers, loves squeezing anything and everything lolol

What else can we do? It won't magically get better will it?

SneakyLilNameChange my daughter is in a high achieving state that gets half the class into grammars every year. That writing is more typical of year one level and you probably know that. You are just showing off.

I’m a teacher nothing wrong with it she’s 5 perfectly normal

Get a grip op

Have you tried a pen grip?

Looks like mild dyslexia to me

Get her checked out properly

Looks like my doctors handwriting at about age 50! - dread to think what his was like at 5.

No worries, she'll be using a keyboard by 6

That's actually very much on point for a 5yr old. I think you have very unrealistic expectations tbvh.

Every parents evening my son’s teachers have told us that his handwriting needs to be better….this year he has passed his 11 plus and is on track to get amazing marks on his SATs. Honestly handwriting will come in time…or not, have you seen a doctors handwriting? She will be ok!

The more we tried to get our son to write at home, the less he wanted to do it. So we let him do it in his own time.

I absolutely agree with@Snorlaxo just get puzzles, mazes, coloring books... that sort of thing, get sneaky practice in with arts & crafts etc.. she's only 5

Get some of those fun activity books where they trace letters/shapes and then add stickers and colour to the oage. It won't seem like work to her, but I really wouldn't worry and force her to practice. She'll get there 😊

Hi achieving state school or not, what you’ve said about year 1 level writing is simply not true. It’s ok for reception though, albeit probably in the lower half of the year group in terms of transcription. Composition is fine though.

The child chose to write independently.
Lots of children enjoy writing as part of their play/free time.
Writing for fun isn't an issue.

Teachers are working to SATs deadlines by the end of year 2.

Year 2 SATs are no longer a requirement.

Actually, it will ‘magically’ get better as she gets older and her fine motor skills improve. You will just put her off handwriting if you force it now.

Yes, it will get better, neater, smaller. That's great for her age.

Don't be ridiculous. It's well within the norms for Reception (I teach primary and used to teach Foundation).

Sounds like you're getting a lot of reassurance and advice to lighten up and stop pressurising her. Let her teachers do their job.

Keep this. Keep later ones. See how she develops, it will be a lovely memory of her from childhood to adulthood. Put them all in a book and give them to her at a significant event. 18th. Wedding.

Do not try to improve her writing. She’s at school all day doing just that and the more you push it, the more she’ll hate it.

My daughter’s writing aged 6 wasn’t great. We took her out of school to home educate her (not because of her handwriting 🤣) and we have done precisely zero active work on improving it and the difference in 18 months is amazing. She has just naturally improved.

FWIW, I hate my handwriting and always have. I keep trying to change it and it gets worse and worse. I love to write but my actual handwriting sucks. Well, I think it does. I stress myself out over it and it’s just not worth it.

I’ve bought myself a new pen and I am working on it but I’ve made that decision, it’s not being forced upon me.

I have four children aged between 6 and 12.
This looks perfectly normal to me.

Completely fine for that age!

Her handwriting is fine for her age. It will get better with time and practice in school. She’s 6 months into her education and it’s a shame you’re already making it hell.

You honestly sound demented. Are you torturing your child every evening with more handwriting ? Please get a grip.

Oh bless her she's only 5. I'm sure she's doing her best. Lots of playdoh and fun things, and focus on praising her.

She's 5. Schools do a lot of work on letter formation over the next few years. Stop pushing her before it puts her off completely.

It's also really unprofessional for the teacher to be saying she is "behind" at such an early point. If that is what was truely said I would be having a chat with the head. My daughter had a teacher tell her she failing when she was 6 and finding phonics hard - (she has since been diagnosed with dyslexia) and it made a huge impact on her confidence. This teacher would say similar things to the parents in parents evening, told one poor mum that her daughter wasn't the brightest. She also stopped them drinking in class and wouldn't let them go to the toilet so a lot of them started wetting themselves but thats a whole other issue. So if your daughter is consistently getting upset when you try to do things with her like this I would look into it a bit further.

Piss off. I have explained a few times I'm not forcing her to do writing...