To ask how you write a 5

[NoCryingInEngineering]

DS is in reception and this week's parent torture homework is to practice writing numbers. He has a sheet with examples down the side and a little rhyme for each one. Everything's been fine except 5 which he can't (or wont) get right. DH thinks it may be because he's left handed. And I know I don't write 5s using the school method

So I'm interested. How do you write a 5?

Down stroke, round then back and put the hat on!

Vertical bit flowing into the curve, add the horizontal at the top after.

I'm left handed and I write a 5 like an S.

but instead of the curve at the top do a flat line from right to left, straight line down and then the bottom curve of an S

Not sure if that actually makes any sense...

I start at the top right and follow the arrows

Starting in the top left, down, the curve and then the horizontal line going left to right.

DC learned to write it in one movement starting at the top right end.

I do it in 2 steps: I start at the vertical point at the top and down from there and then the round bit (I.e. move 1). then I add the horizontal line on to it starting from the left to the right (move 2). hope this all makes sense

Top horizontal line from right to left, vertical line down, do the curvy bit.

I start at the top right, then do it all in one go, so horizontal going right to left, then vertical, then swoopy bit!

I'm left handed. I started with down stroke then the curve, then realised I could speed up if I wrote it like MsSquiz.

But that only came after patient tutoring from a teacher because at first I used to wrote a lot of letters and numbers back to front.
I had to learn them by writing out the alphabet and numbers 0 - 9 like lines every day. It was a chore but I'm glad I stuck with it.

I'm a lefty too and do it like MsSquiz! I'm also ancient though so wouldn't know how they teach it today

I am lefthanded and also write mine like a flat topped “s”

Evidently I do it in a different way completely.....

Top line, left to right, then the down stroke and curve.
I’m a right handed writer.

Down, curve and go back to do the top line is how he's been told. Like an S seems easier for him

I'm right handed and do it in one step starting at the top right. It wouldn't occur to me to do it in two steps.

Like an S, but with a flat top. Sometimes they look more like Ss because of that!

Like an S seems easier for him

Me too, I'm left-handed.

www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=26&v=58V0iowxCQM
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/primary/1318686-Left-handed-number-formation

I'm a teacher and we teach one movement, starting at the top right.

I do it like an s but was taught to do it the other way as a child. I think it's because it's usually easier to get a 5 shape for learners who could end up with more of an s.

I was taught to do the vertical line, then the hoop then to put the hat on left to right.

I now do the hat first left to right then lift pen up and do the vertical line and hoop like starabara describes.

I start at the top right, do the horizontal line across to the left, then the vertical line and finally the curve. It always confuses me that some people do the vertical and curve first, then the horizontal line across the top. It feels more comfortable to me to do the whole number in one flowing motion rather than having to move back up to the top again if that makes sense?

My son is yr 1 (only just 16th August) and left handed - 5 causes him all sorts of trouble - he tends to do a flattened s too but he really has to concentrate more r it ends up backwards!

Think we'll be encouraging him to ignore the school method and do the single movement style for a bit then

Down and around with a flag on high, that's the way we make a 5!

So down in a straight line, then the curved bit to the bottom then take pencil off and back on for the flat top part. It might help your son to go from right to left for the 'flag' (the flat top line)

I used to do it like an S but when I was writing quckly it would just look like an S. So I started doing it in two movements recently and now they are much easier to distinguish.

I'm left handed and I write a 5 like an S.

Me too.

Doing the horizontal top last seems like wasted effort.