Reading/Writing levels

[MummyGeorge]

My son is 6 years old, and is in Year 2. Three weeks back, his teacher was telling me that she is concerned about his literacy. He was good at numbers though. He just had an assessment last week, and has come up with level 1A in writing, and 2C in reading. I know that these are not great results. What is the best way to help him positively. Has anybody had any experience like this where literacy skills have improved in later years. Did you do anything special to improve the skills?
Thanks !

2c sounds ok for reading, I thought by end of year 2 they shouold be aiming for 2b as broadly average?

As for the writing, it's fairly common for boys to really struggle with this, so I wouldn't be too worried.

Have you asked the teacher if she is concerned?
TBH, if you are thinking along the lines of sitting making him practise, you will priobably totally switch him off.

I would lef hit practisr drawing in sand , or encourage him to work with lego, that would imprive fine motor skills.

Definetely have a word with the class teacher.

my ds2 7 in March, (also yr 2) got 1b in writing and 2b in reading. So not much different.
With reading, you can but read read read to them and stimulate their interest in books, whether it's trashy comics, factual, or lovely bedtime stories. Eventually they will want to find out what happens next for themselves.
Writing I found hard to manage - it seems that both my sons found holding the pencil difficult and didn't help to force them to write for long periods. One teacher suggested more swimming to strengthen finger, wrist muscles, and more playdough clay kneading. I think that dexterity is a developmental thing.

I would let him practise

Sorry have 3 year old tugging on my arm and posted before preview. I can spell and my grammar isn't usually so bad, honest.

If it is the actual physical skill of writing that he is having problems with, agree need to develop fine motor skills. Lots of clay/play dough etc, lego and other construction toys, making patterns in sand, salt finger paints etc, using threading for pasta, beads etc, using tongs/tweezers for picking things up. Strangely climbing is also good for this development (something to do with creating teh links in the brain needed for writing).

Yes, I did have a word with his teacher. TBH, it was the teacher who initiated this, as I thought this was normal of his age children to write like this.
We were initially concerned if he had some kind of learning difficulty, but after the assessment, the teacher said that it may not be necessary as of now.

It is not just his writing skill as such - his handwriting is not good, but the main problem that the teacher says is that he loses focus on what he is writing, and in the end it doesnt make sense.

I can think of a few issues that may have

1. he turns 7 only in august, so is the youngest in his class 2. he is a left hander and all others at home and in his class are right handed - maybe that was an initial problem too.

Hi Mummygeorge, I've just put a post on about your 4 year old!

My summer birthday ds, yr 2, 7 end of July is Level 1c for handwriting, also a left-hander, and he has an Individual Education Plan for handwriting among other things, although as I said on the other post, his reading is OK. He has only just started to write at home of his own accord.

He is the kind of character who will be put off if made to sit down and practice for any length of time, but I do try little and often. I believe he will get there in his own time and the teachers are under alot of pressure with targets, etc, and they also have to accept this.

By the way, most mathematicians are apparently left-handed! My ds is also good at science and IT.

The writing levels can be a bit strange, DD's teacher (year 3) says DD has produced some good pieces of writing with all the correct grammar, good vocabulary etc but because of her "rush" to get it down on paper she forgets punctuation and capital letters (which she does know when to use) so the levels are lowered.

You need to use the levels in conjunction with reports and discussions with the teacher.

I have a left handed summer born boy (although currently in reception, not Yr2). I have thought about this a lot, though, and I would not be at all bothered about those results if it were my child at this point in Yr2.

Maybe work on his fine motor skills, including writing, that's the only thing I would do.

Our ds didn't "get" reading until he was 6.5. He just couldn't blend and "did" his reading by learning the book off by heart on the first go. The school were great about it. They said that some children - particularly boys- are not developmentally ready to read until they are 6.

The gave him some extra one-to-one support before moving him from the top to the middle group for language as they were concerend it was starting to affect his confidence.

He is now 8.5 and reading - and writing - independently. He is creating his own Captain Underpants cartoons and has written his own web-site off his own bat (a few minor grammatical errors but generally showing good vocubulary and a great imagination.

We're even thinking of talking to the school about waht we need to do to get him to a level where he can move back to the top group in reading, as the middle group, where he is now, is not stretching him.

So maybe your son just isn't ready yet.

Interestingly, ds is also very good at numbers.

He's not lefthanded - but both his parents are!

2C is a good result for reading it is right for hisd age. 1A for writng is a bit below what he sould be getting. I agrre with mankyscotslas about gettinh im to write in sand or build with lego. Also throwing and catching a ball helps.

The 1a for writing will not be for handwriting, but for spelling, grammar and punctuation etc.

Thanks all for this great support. This is my first day here, and already feel at home.

Yes you are right Christywisty.. it is not handwriting.

Do you think age plays a factor in these younger years? I've often felt it with my one.

I sometimes feel I should have waited to start his school from the following year. He would have felt so much more confident. But now, I dont want to think that way as he would feel bad if I did that.

I have thought exactly the same about my ds, MummyGeorge, and yes, I think age does affect what they can do at this stage for some of them, it's only fair if our expectations are adjusted for summer birthdays, they are almost a whole year younger than alot of children.