Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Writing and primary - what age?

79 replies

Ojjjjnv · 26/07/2024 21:18

Ds is n primary school and has just written this about today. What age/primary year do you think this is?

Writing and primary - what age?
OP posts:
anxioussister · 26/07/2024 22:58

Arrivapercy · 26/07/2024 21:34

End of year 2 I'd expect to be writing more, better handwriting and spelling.

My end of reception DC has less tidy handwrinting but better spelling / prose. It’s impossible to tell from this one piece.

Longma · 26/07/2024 23:04

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines. at the request of it's author.

JumpinJellyfish · 26/07/2024 23:05

This is MN so you're going to immediately have people saying their child wrote like this before starting school

3 pages of responses and no one has said anything like this. Most have got it spot on.

UpTheMagicFarawayTree · 26/07/2024 23:07

I agree it's hard to tell from one piece, writing judgements are about more than just handwriting and will also take into account spellings, range of vocabulary, punctuation and sentence structure etc. I would say it's about expected for year 1, but he may consistently not be using those wider range of vocab and punctuation that they need to see. Nothing to worry about there though, just keep working on it over the holidays and it will start to come more naturally.

Longma · 26/07/2024 23:07

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines. at the request of it's author.

Longma · 26/07/2024 23:08

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines. at the request of it's author.

Ojjjjnv · 26/07/2024 23:14

@2sisters thank you, that's very handy. Will try to work on his letters. DS definitely doesn't enjoy writing though it's a shame as he loves to tell stories.I mainly assumed that writing was about grammar, punctuation and story telling but I guess at this age a lot of it is still pretty basic.

OP posts:
Reugny · 26/07/2024 23:20

OP be honest with yourself - what is yours and your DS's father's handwriting like?

Point is if either of you struggled with writing "perfectly" at school don't expect your child to.

Concentrate on making sure his handwriting is legible, words are spelt correctly and the content. (Though to be honest the content should improve the more he reads.)

Countrygirlxo · 26/07/2024 23:21

I was surprised the expectations of a year 1 child, they have to write using suffixes, prefixes, conjunctions and proper nouns while remembering finger spaces and cursive writing. I taught reception and y1 daily and the jump between the two is massive

Macaroni46 · 26/07/2024 23:46

Countrygirlxo · 26/07/2024 23:21

I was surprised the expectations of a year 1 child, they have to write using suffixes, prefixes, conjunctions and proper nouns while remembering finger spaces and cursive writing. I taught reception and y1 daily and the jump between the two is massive

I agree. It's bonkers! To be expected standard at the end of year 1 they need to use question marks and exclamation marks, time connectives and use 'ed' for past tense verbs. Poor loves!

Ojjjjnv · 27/07/2024 00:02

My own handwriting is terrible. Totally ineligible which is obviously fine nowadays as no one writes by hand anyhow. But it does feel like in order to make sure he doesn't fall behind, we'd have to cover so much over the summer. And thats not even talking about maths etc.

OP posts:
Marblessolveeverything · 27/07/2024 00:14

One of the best tips I got was to let children write in different mediums. So shaving foam, chalk, sand etc. it's about practicing the muscle memory.

Calliopespa · 27/07/2024 00:16

Ojjjjnv · 27/07/2024 00:02

My own handwriting is terrible. Totally ineligible which is obviously fine nowadays as no one writes by hand anyhow. But it does feel like in order to make sure he doesn't fall behind, we'd have to cover so much over the summer. And thats not even talking about maths etc.

Truly one of my biggest regrets with my dcs is ever having tried to pander to these sorts of early academic standards. Mine are bright and when they hit their burners they hit them and any gaps are caught and overtaken in a blink. And if they aren’t, it isn’t fair to try to make them excel academically. The younger years really don’t foretell later success - and sometimes it’s even bitterly tragic when the ones the children who have excelled early on can’t keep pace once the talented turn their minds to it. Always spend the summer doing things they love. Live it as though it’s their last.

FrenchFancie · 27/07/2024 08:05

i work in a mixed KS1 class so see examples of reception / year 1 / year 2 writing - he seems about average for our year 1s I would say, except as others have mentioned, his letter formation and use of capital letters in words (so for example he uses a capital L in film and splash).I wouldn’t spend too much time over the summer worrying about it. Keep him practicing writing where you can - but give him opportunities to write in play, rather than sitting him down and saying ‘now it’s time to practice your writing’.

so maybe set up an opportunity to write out shopping lists, recipes and pretend postcards. Give him chalks to chalk outside, or other mediums like writing and drawing shapes in shaving foam (always a hit). Keep working on fine and gross motor skills so using play doh, colouring in, bead threading etc and bigger things using hands and arms like ball catching, clapping games etc.

oh and keep reading aloud with him - exposure to different texts and vocabulary really helps in his own writing. Check his understanding of new or more tricky words, talk about what they mean and how they are used, he can then draw on these in his own writing.

I've worked in different schools where writing is taught differently - some use cursive formation straight away (so with a lead in and a lead out on separated letters) and some teach like your sons school, without it. I can’t say that either way is ‘better’ to be honest, handwriting ended up mostly ok in both situations. It’s infuriating because joined up legible handwriting is a requirement for year 6, but then as soon as you go to secondary, provided it is readable, no one cares if it’s joined up and ‘correct’.

please don’t worry about your dc’s writing though, he’s not miles off where he should be.

Didimum · 27/07/2024 08:08

Looks like my twins level, who have also just finished yr 1. They are also behind.

Bushmillsbabe · 27/07/2024 08:18

I would sat he has just finished year 1. But could be younger in the age range, so newly 6? It's just not about year group, but also age within the year group, as oldest children could be up to a year older than youngest.

longapple · 27/07/2024 08:35

There are some good dry wipe books for practicing letters, we've used priddy ones which I think we got from WHSmiths.

theteddybear · 27/07/2024 12:48

Looks similar to what my daughter can write, she's just turned 7. Recently finished primary 2 in Scotland not sure what that is in England, year 1? She's achieving the highest level in everything at school and according to her teacher doing very well.

I see you've said he is similar age. I really wouldn't worry at all but maybe it's because the standard is so high at his school.

Anawi · 27/07/2024 14:54

I opened this to reply but see you have said the age now. I'm an infant school teacher, I was going to say my best guess would be an exceptionally confident end of reception child or more likely end of Y1 but someone who possibly finds writing tricky.

I agree with a previous poster, from what I've seen, some schools would judge this at the expected standard, I agree that I would class it as working towards the expected standard, but I would say it's not that far off and I would think this child would make good progress in Y2. Letter formation is the most noticeable thing, maybe a little time practicing correct letter formation/handwriting.

Using longer sentences that include the word 'and' to join ideas together is something they'd look for and spelling of certain words. If you Google Y1 common exception words that's the list they expect the children to be able to spell correctly in their writing.

I say all that but really try not to worry too much, they are so young and some children just take a bit longer to 'get it' and what is expected of such you children is really tricky! I've seen children with far worse writing at the end of Y1 go on to meet the expected standard by the end of Y2.

zingally · 27/07/2024 15:45

Long time primary school teacher here!

I'm amazed by all the people saying Reception! I can hand on heart say I've seen Reception writers like that... less than 5 times in almost 20 years.
I'd lean more towards a pretty able Year 1, or a fairly average Year 2. I think I'd assume the writer was closer to 7yo than 6yo.

zingally · 27/07/2024 15:47

Ah, I see from your follow-up this is an end of Year 1 child.

Honestly, I'd be perfectly happy with that for a Year 1!

Anawi · 27/07/2024 17:31

zingally · 27/07/2024 15:45

Long time primary school teacher here!

I'm amazed by all the people saying Reception! I can hand on heart say I've seen Reception writers like that... less than 5 times in almost 20 years.
I'd lean more towards a pretty able Year 1, or a fairly average Year 2. I think I'd assume the writer was closer to 7yo than 6yo.

That would definitely be below average for Y2.

zingally · 03/08/2024 10:30

Anawi · 27/07/2024 17:31

That would definitely be below average for Y2.

How many years teaching experience do you have?

Anawi · 03/08/2024 16:35

zingally · 03/08/2024 10:30

How many years teaching experience do you have?

20

Swipe left for the next trending thread