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?

I’m not convinced handwriting practice helps! I’m a teacher. I have a child who has always had lovely handwriting and another child whose handwriting is not much better than your child’s at 11! We tried all sorts, but my wise mum reminded me that my uncle has similar handwriting as an adult and manages fine as a GP (thankfully computers save his patients from his stereotypical doctor handwriting!). Basically, it may always be messy, but that’s not the end of the world!

My DDs was just like that but now she"s 13 her handwriting is beautiful, everyone comments on it, please don't worry...

This is a perfect plan. Honestly, there is no point stressing. It's fine. DS1 wrote like this at that age too - the worst thing to do would be to make her self-conscious and pressure her so that she starts to develop an aversion.

Move away from copying words!

Make patterns, encourge big circles, little circles....dots ...lines ...worms

she clearly Marking marks- encourage discrimination and finer control, NOT on making words all the time.Keep it fun
Colour in- stay in the lines

its all about fine motor control

CCCCC oo00oo00oo ~~~~~~ bdbdbdbdbdbbb lllllll l-l-l-l-l-

Some teachers are assholes.

Also be very aware op that some teachers are also nasty pieces of work who single children out to abuse. One way they might do that is telling the parent they are behind. Perhaps followed up by offering after school sessions to 'help'.

Not saying this is what's going on of course. Just be very aware these things can happen. And if your child ever seems sad or mentions the teacher picking on her, please don't just dismiss it.

My 5 yr old - November birthday probably has worse writing. It kinda is stressful as I don’t see him excelling in any area yet but equally I don’t see how to improve things as he’s still very much just of the play mindset so I try not to get pushy with him. However nobody has said he was behind at any point as I know they like to focus as much as possible on playing in his school at this point.

I don't think it's that bad, she's only in reception! It's good that she's reading- focus on that instead. For improving her handwriting do activities like drawing and copying shapes instead.

Bloody hell..
She's 5 for God's sake..
What do you expect?

Unless her teacher has said otherwise, as someone who used to teach reception, this looks fine to me! I wouldn’t worry too much at this stage and just remember she’s only just 5 and at the beginning stages of becoming a writer. I think sometimes if it becomes a chore and a big thing at this age, she’s more at risk of being turned off writing and feeling like she can’t do it and then problems can set in. So try lots of encouragement and looking for the positives, I can read some of that and would be telling her she’s done so well to write words I can read.
Don’t try to fix it all at once, yes she could practice letter formation but just focus on trying to find fun ways to do it. So maybe using a tray with sand in it and using her finger to write a letter, or using chalk on the pavement, or my class loved mini white boards and marker pens or special felt tips/ crayons that she’s chosen maybe. Just work on one letter at a time and repeat in loads of different ways for just short spells and only if she’s willing. A good tip to remember is to encourage her to start each letter from the top ( apart from d and e who start from the middle)

She wasn't copying words.
She decided she wanted to write about our cinema trip, that's what she wrote. I don't dictate to her or spell words out for her or anything.

I just wrote what she put underneath so it could be read by someone.

I really was just wondering if I need to help her form her letters properly/ hold the pen correctly before it becomes a "bad habit". Bit I will leave it with the school.

I was wrong. I see other kids in her class and their writing is much better. And I +(wrongly) interpreted that she was behind from Parents Meeting.

She my first and only so have nothing else to go on :'(

What is with posters writing such arrogant stuff like this? It is perfectly possible for a teacher to have said something like the OP said.

Behind in what way?

• reclutant to write
• spelling
• letter formation
• something else?

You are expecting to much, leave it to school and stop asking her to do it at home, you are putting her under too much pressure. I assume she only start school in September. She is going to get upset and frustrated.

You're not making yourself look good here, OP.
She's trying her best and she doesn't need your criticism, she's only just started school!!!
My mother was similar and the hurt stays with you, it becomes your internal dialogue.
Just praise her efforts or she'll get disheartened!

We have those. And some finger grips.

She still manages to change her grip!! 😂

Chill out dude! She's only just gone 5! 😆

Seriously @SwingingCatsAround that is shitty of the school to say she is 'behind.' What the fuck did they say that for?! I have seen plenty of 4-6 year olds with writing like that. Not that weird. They're only tiny! How can a wee bairn just turned 5, be 'behind?'

Just keep being a great mother and maybe write things with her/write stuff down and get her to copy it to practice if you're worried.

But yeah, she's fine!

If she enjoys playing with play dough look at dough disco (early years Emily on YouTube has some good ones) as something fun to help develop her fine and gross motor skills

Indo praise her. I just wanted to know if there was something we could do.

I don't make her write, I don't encourage. But I don't force her. Which is why I leave her to do the writing independently.

I was just asking for advice 😭

I think the OP is probably being a bit critical because the school have put this idea in her head that her little 5 year old girl is 'behind' because they don't think her writing is good enough! Not a nice thing for them to do!

She's five, good or bad why are you so stressed you'd write a post? FFS you need to relax and support her learning in a fun gentle way.
Unless this is some weird humble brag.

Oh my god..
I was just asking for help, because I was told my child needs to improve.
I'm obviously wrong and have already said I will not worry about it.

Why would a 5 year old try to write review?

I wouldn't force her, but give her opportunities to incorporate writing into play, like writing her name in the mud, making sure she has her own notebook and pens so she can write the shopping list for you or write her own stories or the list of people she would like to invite to her birthday party etc - of course that all depends on whether she likes doing things like this!

Does she know how to grip a pencil correctly? I actually would correct this, if necessary, as it wasn't taught at my DCs school and it has created problems.

Because she knows what a book and film review is...and she wanted to write one? We were talking about it a few days ago, because I said I'd read a review about a book and wanted to read it.

She also wants to do a drawing for it. So, when she says she wants to write I encourage her by making sure she knows where the paper is and she just got in with it.

You'll notice she hasn't actually reviewed the film 😂😂😂

I hope you aren't imagining me standing over her in forcing her to write film reviews...