to not really get why worksheets are so bad?

[butterbeansinsoup]

DS is in P1 (in Scotland) and obviously they're learning their letters. They do everything on whiteboards with a pen, they never sit at their tables and write on paper.

I asked the teacher why and it's as if I asked her why she didn't use the belt.

Surely practising the letter y on a whiteboard is exactly like practising it on a sheet of paper?

[BenLui]

I bet if you wander past a P2 or P3 classroom Butter you’ll find the classes happily writing on paper.

[CorbynsBumFlannel]

Easier to hold the pens and write, better for the environment, easy for them to hold their boards up and the teacher to give feedback on 30 sentences in seconds rather than walking around the class.
I'm certain they will have opportunities to use pencils as well.

[inkjoy]

Ignore me - asked DSis and it's chalkboards she uses because there's more sensory feedback.

[user789653241]

But OP doesn't say her dc has any SEN, does she?

[inkjoy]

Agree with blueemeraldagain and TheHungryDonkey. My sister has worked in SEN for about 35 years and I have a recollection of her saying whiteboards are much better for sensory reasons - something to do with sensory feedback if I remember correctly?

[user789653241]

*paper, not pare!

[user789653241]

But then, in ks1/ks2, they need to produce so much work on the actual paper. Isn't that better to start on the pare in the first place?
I wouldn't argue using white board occasionally. But it's so different from writing on actual paper, where correcting mistakes is harder and it will stay as an evidence as how dc was writing at the stage.

[RavenWings]

I'll second that the whiteboards are great for checking work - they can turn it around and show you. Also for saving on unneccessary printing.

I feel that using a mix of materials is good, but if you're bothered about them using whiteboards too often, it's easy to have him do a tiny bit of writing on paper for you.

[Upsy1981]

The latest early years education recommendations advise against worksheets, instead preferring children to be able to have a go at things in their own way. In my setting, we have different opportunities for practising letter formation during continuous provision e.g. chalks outside on the boards or floor, paper with pencils or pens, gloop etc. They do use whiteboards and pens when doing carrot time with the teacher. For the reasons above, these are preferable, mainly because they encourage children's to have a go because they are easily erased.

[TheHungryDonkey]

Some children with issues such as dysgraphia get on much better with whiteboards until they’ve learnt the spelling and letter formation.

[Mummyoflittledragon]

Dd used to have a white board when she was little. She also wrote on paper in her exercise books. White boards are good because the children can correct their mistakes easily. And no faff with rubbers etc.

[butterbeansinsoup]

I understand the paper saving aspect but I'm surprised because I remember reading about it being important for children to use pencils/crayons to draw rather than just felt tips because the 'feedback' from the drag on the paper is far greater.

I understood that to be the case too!

[user789653241]

If you want your dc to practice writing on the paper, you can always do it at home?
Ask them to do the shopping list, diary, anything, whatever you like?
Once they are higher in year groups, they will start writing more on the paper anyway. So it can be the advantage for your child, if they are only practicing on white board, and your dc is experiencing writing on the real paper.

[Waddlelikeapenguin]

I understand the paper saving aspect but I'm surprised because I remember reading about it being important for children to use pencils/crayons to draw rather than just felt tips because the 'feedback' from the drag on the paper is far greater.

[Fresta]

It's convenient to use a wipe-clean board so they don't need to have lots of bits of paper. However, a good school will give them lots of experience making marks and writing in different media on different materials. In my experience a whiteboard pen can be quite tricky to negotiate as they can be bulky for little fingers to grip correctly and are quite slippy on the surface when writing as the shiny surface and ink don't provide the same resistance as a pencil on paper making hard for children to write neatly. Definitely shouldn't be their only writing medium.

[primarnoodle]

Agree its mostly environmental - i teach f1 and we use an online observation recorder so if they write something noteworthy i photograph it.

Having said that there are pencils etc and paper in the mark making area

[mirime]

I'd be fine with it. I know they use wipe clean sheets for practicing and at home DS often practices on his magnadoodle or on the whiteboard side of his easel.

I'm just glad he's excited to be learning to write and enjoys practicing!

He also gets through reams of paper at home.

[PerspicaciaTick]

The downside of using whiteboards is that the children come home covered in ink, whereas pre-whiteboards they wrote in pencil.
I don't care about the ink, the school don't care about the ink, but I know that very many parents at my DCs school get very upset about ink stains on uniform.

[Muddlingalongalone]

Is it the only writing they are doing or is it part of a mix of methods. I discussed this with dd1's teachers in year 1 (in England) as there are a lot of adults myself included who struggle to write legibly on whiteboards and it turned out it was only part of their writing and for when they were doing non table based learning.
In year 2 they are doing a lot more writing on paper and a lot more sitting at tables. Dd1 preferred year 1 but her writing is better in year 2!

[eyebrowsonfleek]

It’s mainly to save money on photocopying. School budgets are being cut so every penny counts.

[Letmesleepalready]

I learned with slate and chalk, then whiteboards when we were older (and I'm in my 30s) This was in France, and I'm pretty sure they still use them.

[HotelEuphoria]

I suspect lots of people my dads age learnt to write on a slate with chalk, my dads generation have beautiful handwriting.

I don't see a problem.

[butterbeansinsoup]

I would think that they're using mini whiteboards on desks (correct me if I'm wrong OP

I think most of the time they're sitting on the floor with the whiteboards. Sometimes they sit at their desks *according to DS.

[TeenTimesTwo]

Also, they can turn their whiteboards around and the teacher can easily see who has / hasn't managed the letter (or got the right answer for maths) without having to go around the whole class.