How can I encourage my 6 year old (YR1) to write?

[Creole]

I have written about it here a few times, but we are still having the same problems. He had a lovely teacher up until the end of the spring term. She really motivated him to write, but things seem to have regressed since she went on mat leave.

The new teacher seems to be getting her head around the class, but in the meantime, my son is losing interest in writing. This is also having an effect on his confidence as he keeps saying all the other kids are better than him in writing, they all get to talk about their stories they?ve written and he can?t.

Both Yr R & Yr 1 teachers have said this is the only area that is holding him back. He is very imaginative and can talk for England, but the problem is getting his ideas down on paper.

Should I enlist the help of a tutor or is he too young (YR1)?

I know exactly what you mean foxinsocks. I told his previous teacher that I'm not doing a thing about as it ends up in a huge battle.

I know this thread is so so old, but I am going through this very problem now with my 6 year old son.
Teacher at school is driving us crazy about it because he is so bright in every area but will not write. He hates it.
Did anyone find a solution that worked?
We haven't written to the Queen but he wrote a letter to Gordon Brown asking why he has to write all day at school. He said he is 6 and I just want to play! Really made me laugh. No reply as yet though!
Please if anyone found a way that worked please share!

Rude words cshell? DS is reluctant too, but he'll write daft nonsense like a shot. One of the first words he could write without help was 'bottom'.. We did a poem at the weekend about wee (rhymes with me, sea, bee, etc).

Controlling a pencil requires quite significant motor control and muscular co-ordination, which many 6 year olds (and particularly boys, I think I've read) just don't have yet.

I would only ask for very limited amounts of writing - as others have suggested: lists, greetings in cards, maybe very short letters - and instead allow him to narrate to you while you either write/type it for him.

The creative aspect of writing - which it sounds like he's great at - is far harder to 'learn' than the physical 'writing' side of it, which will become easier the older he gets - as long as he's not put off completely by being forced to do too much before he's physically ready for it. Praise the creative side, go as easy as you can (school permitting) on the other for the moment.

I home-educate, and my 7.5 DD does very little writing - as yet she's just not interested in it. However, she narrates impressive stuff to me, and her writing improves noticeably from one birthday-card-message to the next - even if she's done ZERO writing in the 3 months since the precious one, IFSWIM - simply by virtue of being older, and better able to control the pencil. Keep faith! HTH.

Yes, get a tutor. I have heard this from other parents and they all say they wished they had got a tutor earlier.

cshell

I agree with CSLewis that it could well be an age thing.

My dd2 is in yr 12 now and doing history/politics/economics A levels, and writes stories on the internet for fun. But when she was in yr 1 she wasn't very interested in writing either. Suddenly in year 2 she got the urge to and started writing much, much more.

I would keep your DS reading & talking, and maybe writing the occasional shopping list & letter as the others have suggested, but not push him too much yet.

In many countries (e.g Finland) they wouldn't even have started learning to write yet!

All of these are brilliant ideas. Also - write him secret notes and leave them round the house, asking him to reply on the back of the paper. Anything form: do you want some chocolate to is it time to go to the park. If they associate writing with interesting communication it helps a lot. My son enjoyed it overnight when we played restaurants and it was his job to 'writ the fansy menues'

Thank you everyone for your advice. I would be happier about backing off if school didn't make such a big issue out of it. I feel as though I have to do something. It's very frustrating.
However, I am going to speak again to his teacher and see if they can back off a little with his writing.
He does have a fantastic imagination and I will as suggested let him make up stories etc and I will scribe for him in fact I will try all ideas. Will do anything to help him. Just want him to be happy about doing it. Don't want to force him.
Thanks again.
Anymore ideas? Please keep them coming.
Many thanks

The school will, unfortunately, feel that it is a big issue FOR THEM, as it takes much longer to assess a child's learning orally than simply to put a row of ticks down a page of written work.

Because there are so many children in a class, teachers have to push reading and writing so that the children become, essentially, self-educating ASAP (i.e. able to absorb information by reading it themselves, rather than primarily by hearing it/discussing it with others; able to prove they've absorbed it by writing about it rather than oral reports, etc).

It's the system's fault, not the teachers - but please don't feel that you or your son have a 'problem'; the teachers have a small problem, but that really shouldn't mean that your son is made to feel like he's 'behind' or 'failing' or 'not good enough' simply because his developmental curve does not fit the school's - completely arbitrary - ideal, and makes his teacher's lives a bit more challenging for a time .

Chalk on a blackboard or better still outside on the pavement. Or a whiteboard with whiteboard markers.

to boost his confidence, get him to tell you a story that you write down, then he can copy it

his words, his handwriting, great story, show him, show the teachers, heaps of praise etc

make him mini books out of A4 paper folded into four (to remove fear of large empty paper), see if he will draw a picture and write a couple of lines under

please don't pressure him too much, if the teachers are making a massive deal out of it, it's only oging to make things worse

My (6 next week) year old is the same, but he struggles with the actual writing as well

I just let him write when he wants to and its getting more regular

I really don't want to make an issue out of it for him

LOVE the idea of writing to hte queen tho1

It does not remotely surprise me when I have bright children in my class who are like this. The ones who can tell the best stories orally often find it a real struggle to slow down their thinking sufficiently to get it down on paper - and get stalled by unfamiliar spellings. I see it as part of the process and value oral responses as much as written.

I do a few things in my class to encourage writing. I have a writing area with questions to answer, story prompts, magnetic letters and words to build sentences with...etc. Children will often produce something on a whiteboard that they will not on paper. I think this is particularly true of perfectionist children who are scared to make a mistake. When they do this, I photocopy their whiteboard and put it in a special Good Writing folder. I also send their reading books home with a special book where they can write a sentence about what they have read and draw a picture.

The thing that makes the most difference has been said above - praise, praise, praise. I make a huge fuss over any child who writes more than usual and they will take a good piece of work around the school and have a mini certificate to take home. The more the praise is heaped on, the greater the motivation.

As someone has said, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Teachers do, because of assessment and because the management of the school check up on us to ensure the children are producing 'enough' work. However, I usually find the ones who struggle the most with motivation to write really are the brightest and they will almost inevitably start writing reams when they are ready.

Sweet, you sound like a superb teacher, and I do wish I'd had your help when my eldest was in Y2 and 3.

Lifeissweet I wish you were my sons teacher! You sound fantastic! Why aren't there more like you.
My son is a fantastic reader. Already reading key stage 2 books and I like your idea of writing a sentence and drawing picture about their book. I'm going to try this out myself with him.
The teacher is so frustrated because she knows he his bright. Making comments like his ideas are level 3 but I can't mark him at that because he doesn't put it down on paper.
I have commented that he's not the only child in the class with poor writing skills, she agrees but says they are all round low ability students where my son isn't and so as far as she is concerned it just doesn't add up.
I'm so glad you replied to this post. You have made me feel a lot better. Thank you so much.
Thank you to everyone else also. I will keep you posted on how we are doing. Thanks again xxxxx

Picking up this old but timeless topic, I just wanted to post the following link: patriciazaballos.com/2012/05/31/how-do-kids-really-learn-to-write-2-0/
My 6 year old Y1 says that he hates writing. When I asked him if he likes writing at home, he said yes (he writes very little at home- we just let him play), so the issue is that he hates writing at school. At the last parents evening I got the chance to look at my son's school work books and was surprised to find myself bored out of my mind flicking through the endless filled out worksheets stuck meticulously into each page. There was minimal evidence of creative writing or play with words. No wonder our children switch off to writing at such an early age.

"If kids live in a home where people talk, discuss and debate–especially on topics important to the kids–those kids will learn to express themselves clearly and passionately."

Not every time, not for DS2.

I f anyone is looking for stationary for kids , wilkinsons have some
www.wilko.com/stationery/childrens-collections/icat/kidscollections

cshell does he have problems with handwriting (physically making marks on paper) or with the process of getting his thoughts down on paper? (that brilliant story he can tell well but struggles to record)

Sorry to hijack this - Mr Z my son has this problem he has ideas but struggles to put them on paper. - and eventually just rolls out one idea after the other so often doesn't get to put a story down on paper. Any advice welcome ( age 5 but year 6 next month) - moving to yr 2 in Sept.

I sometimes use voice recorders www.primaryict.co.uk/tts-a3-talk-time-recordable-postcard_el00130_3165.htm?gclid=CjwKEAjwjN2eBRDbyPWl0JLY5lYSJACPo0UiFYclLt7Npb-d2vfSsbytcYuLk-tmh2HWXUZXafcWqRoCYGvw_wcB so the child can draw and tell the story before they attempt to write.
Many schools use a Talk for writing/Big Talk approaches to writing with young children so reherse the story aurally before doing any actual writing often using actions, acting out the story and simple pictures as memory prompts. That way he can stay focused on his idea without getting sidetracked.
slp4.somerset.gov.uk/schools/thurlbearprimary/talk4writing/Lists/Photos/IMG_0071.JPG

Thanks mrz

I know this is an old thread but I am having the same problem s with my just turned 6 year old who is in year 2. The teacher said his writing was atrocious. He gets his b and d mixed up too. He can read fine though. Pinching an idea from up thread if anyone has a 6 year old boy who would like a pen pal please feel free to pm me..