Writing - when should kids start being able to write ?

[becaroo]

My ds who will be 4 next month is very unwilling to practice writing his alphabet and name. He also has a very awkward grip on his pen/pencil.

His pre school have not mentioned it, but I look at the other children (I know....I know...that way madness lies!!...) and some of them who are younger than my ds can write their name really well unsupervised.

I think part of the problem is he likes to be on the go and is normally never still....I think he finds sitting colouring/writing boring.

He starts school in January and I am starting to wonder if I should be doing anything to help/encourage more?

Should I be worried or go away and get a life?

i wouldn't worry too much. i was pretty advanced at that age, but it leveled out once i got to secondary school.

DP can remember being forced to hold pencils a certain way, because his way was 'wrong', and i can remember being made to use my right hand, because being left-handed was 'wrong'. (by teachers i might add, not our parents!)

IMO 4yr old should be playing and learning social skills, more than being made to sit and write.

I really wouldn't worry for a year or so at least.

ime a lot of boys are reluctant to do much writing .My ds is the same.He never chooses to sit and colour or do writing.

don't worry I am told that most children cannot write when they start reception. Some can write their own names
dd starts in september, she can read, add all sorts but writing is very hard for her but I'm not worried yet!
4 yrs is too young to worry

I wouldn't worry about it. DS1 couldn't even write his name (although he could draw the letter T) or draw anything but very simplistic 'baby' like pictures when he started school.

At the start of Yr1 I was still slightly concerned that his writing wasn't that great although he was starting to write 'stories' - although by then he'd learned to write his name and his pictures had improved I thought it still wasn't up to where it should be.

Well I was concerned until a friend of mine (who happens to be a Teaching Assistant at his school......which is wonderful as I get little snippets about his progress that other parents don't get ) told me he was doing absolutely fine and there were a handful of YR1 pupils who still could't even write their own name - let alone other words.

That's what school's for!!!

Most children starting in Reception won't be able to write their names and they are a year older than your ds.

Make sure he's got access to paper and pencils and crayone and paints and relax!

Oh, and someone once told me that lots of crawling is good for writing skills - time to get out the commando netting!

Thanks guys, I will now promptly go away and get a life!

Most children learn to write in Reception. so don't worry your DS is quite nornmal for a nearly 4 year old.

My son is five and half years old, he is only just now starting to get the hang of writing. Not being able to form letters isn't an issue until year 1.

I started a very similar thread a couple of months ago:

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