Can your pre-school aged child hold a pencil "properly" and write their own name?

[joshhollowayspieceofass]

I'm just asking as DD, August birthday, apparently can't whereas the majority of her class it seems (recent PT conference info), can.

She is 3.5 and I've never really pushed things at home. If she asks, I've shown her how to hold a crayon or whatever properly, but she soon reverts to her own way.

I've also never really pushed helping her to write her name, but now I'm thinking maybe I should have done?

Or, is she actually pretty much the same as most 3.5 year olds?

Her teacher also showed us some drawings she'd done and I could see that in comparison to some of the other children there was definitely much less of a "likeness" to the items they were supposed to be depicting.

Should I be doing more at home in the way of writing practice? I've always been of the opinion one shouldn't force things, particularly at such a young age. I guess this is one instance where being so young in her year is making itself quite obvious.

sweetkitty ... perfect!

my child attends a school where i choose particularly for the "art of writing" programme. No child starts writing until the second term really of reception. From nursery and beg of reception they are taught to draw patterns, circles, they weave, they twirl ribbons, this is all to build their strength in their hands and develop their fine motor skills - they are then taught to write with a pen and start writing in joined up. My daughter is now 7 and her writing is as good as a 11 year old!!! - The school adopted this programme about 7 years ago and they now teach to other schools and chair conferences. The schools philosphy is superb, and it does also link to the childs reading and spelling. I am more than happy to let the school do the work. Before school I never prevented her from doodling, or writing, but am glad that I didnt make a big issue as now her writing is amazing and infact she tells me how to write joined up!!!

My ds is five, starts school. in August(Scotland), he, sometimes, holds pencil correctly, no pressure, from school nursery. recognises his name, some younger children(3yrs+) at same nursery can write their names.

mrz: thank you, I was just wondering because at DD1s school they teach them to write capitals first (not UK). I can see that what you are saying makes sense.

The other side of the coin...

My ds2 is July born so went to nursery at 3.5. He could write his full name - clever little so and so! He was just wanting to be like ds1.

But you know what? He's nearly 14 now and - though he's a good average academically - he's not a genius - far from it!

So I guess it all evens out in the end

DS is august birthday. 4 this year.
Can write his 1st name.
Doesn't hold the pencil properly.

(oh and can't read...apart from recognising his own name)

DS1 went to school at 4.9 and couldn't write a single letter. He wasn't the slightest bit interested in drawing or writing but in the 2 terms he's been at school he has discovered writing and is pretty good at it, according to his teacher.

Dd is also an August birthday so is 3.9 now and can hold a pencil properly, spends hours drawing and can write her name. Mainly because, as someone else said earlier, whatever ds1 does, dd also does .

Interestingly, DS1's teacher told us at the last Parents' Eve that children who come into school unable to write a thing often have better handwriting more quickly than those who come in writing lots because they don't have to unlearn anything.

DD writes 'a' as a circle with a little stick at the bottom and try as I might I can't get her to do the 'c' shape first which I know is going to cause her a minor issue at school but I guess she'll listen to the teacher more than she'll listen to me .

Olihan I fully agree with your son's teacher which is the point I was trying to make but came across as being negative ... sorry to anyone who thought so... but it is easier (for the child) if they have no established bad habits.

At 3.5 none of my children could do this! What madness to expect them to.

DD is 5 and just finishing up in pre-school, she can write her name well and has good pencil control, but neither me, nor her teachers have pushed this.

She starts 'big school' in Sept and IMO is just the right age, DS1 and DS2 were also 5.5 starting school, which is normal in Ireland.

I think it is madness sending 4 year olds to school but I know you have little choice in the UK.

My son is starting school in September, he's five in January. He cannot / will not pick up a pencil and make marks on paper, just has no interest in it at all. I'm assuming they'll teach him at school.

Following with interest. DS2 turned 4 last week & has SN (possible autism, hypermobility affecting wrists & ankles, delayed fine & gross motor skills, speech delay). We had an OT/physio assessment this week & they said he is a long way off holding a pencil properly, can just about copy a straight line & circle. He has just (last fortnight or so) started drawing recognisable people & giving meaning to his drawings. I practise writing his name (3 letters) with him whenever I can - hand-over-hand, in bath, in sand etc - but tbh I will be amazed if he manages it before he starts school in September. I am desperately worried about how he'll cope, but at least he's been promised 'funding for full-time support' by the LEA.

There are some things he can already do - count to 20, recognise numbers to 9, knows all colours, knows about 5-6 shapes, can recognise name, can spell name out loud. He is fully toilet-trained day & night & can mostly undress/dress himself (needs t-shirt putting in right position to put it on, needs me to take arm out of first sleeve, cannot do buttons/zips/poppers), can use cutlery & pretty much always says please & thank you.

He struggles to follow instructions if he's not interested, too

Ds is 4.5, he now holds his pencil in a tripod grip and you can make out his name. He didn't hold his pencil "properly" at 3.5 and although I was used to it at the time, probably didn't really write his first name legibly until the last couple of months

Oh yes, and although ds CAN draw people (mainly cats ) and other things on rare occasions, he still prefers to "scribble colours". Mainly in response to my requests to draw anything...