To expect a teacher at parents evening to offer solutions as well as problems?

[Sticklebug]

Just returned from parents evening with DS (9). He is in Y4. So, the teacher starts with 'he loves learning, interacts well in class, has great ideas, doing really well in maths'. He is an avid reader and his comprehension is very good.

Then....However, he is doing really badly at writing. Sometimes he writes no more than a single paragraph in a 40 minute class. He is easily distracted and when asked why he has written nothing, he gives no real reason. His writing homework is of a high standard (4a-4b), but in his class work she would struggle to give him a 3b. She basically said that unless he starts to focus then he will not progress at all this year!

The teacher said that she has no idea what to do to get him to focus and was asking us for ideas! My DH asked what tactics she had already tried and she said that she 'hovers' near him at the start of the class to check that he starts. Her only other suggestion was that she could move him to a separate room on his own to get started.

I am at a loss. I am not a teacher or an educational specialist. I don't know what to do and I expect the teacher to offer some ideas - not basically say that there is nothing she can suggest!

So AIBU, and if I am, any ideas on how I can help my DS to focus more? He has said a number of times that he does not like writing, so I think that it is a lack of motivation rather than a lack of ability.

But how does he manage it at home then? It's not an issue of him not being able to do it, as he seems to manage his homework fine.

Try getting him a pen pal via snail mail helps loads also you might want to start getting him to do things like write out your weekly shopping list ect

Less distractions at home??

Flangle - he is not good at football, looks very clumsy when he runs. The concentration thing is interesting a he can concentrate, when he wants to. He is very easily distracted and is a daydreamer.

His sister is hypermobile and is very bendy. DS is quite stiff jointed, but I noticed last night that his hands and fingers are even more flexible than his sisters! The hand and finger mobility was the main test that the consultant did to diagnose his sisters Hypermobility (she had dislocated her knee).

How to you get a referral to have these things checked (possible dyspraxia or hypermobility)? Is it via school or GP?

Ah ha! Sounds like hypermobile hands/ fingers. It's so much more physical effort to do things if you're hypermobile. You tend to use big muscle groups to accomplish tasks which are supposed to be done by small core strength muscles, so shoulder pain makes sense.

There are loads of parents on here with hypermobile children so am sure they can help you with this - I have hypermob but wasn't helped so I know the problem but not the solution.

My DS has just been diagnosed with disgraphia.

He is also 9 and in yr4.

I'm wondering if you could get him checked for that, if its diagnosed he will be able to complete large writing pieces on a lap top.

It will help if he learns to touch type. Apparently cursive is easier for the disgraphia sufferer as it works more fluidly in the brain.

Disgraphia is not as well known, his teacher was unaware of what it was.

My ds is also very double jointed.