How can I help ds (6) practice writing and letter formation?

[beansmum]

He's struggling with the mechanics of it.

He's pretty smart, he's reading at a 9-10yo level and can think up stories and spell words without too much trouble, but he has never learnt to form letters correctly. Writing is just SO slow for him. Which makes it frustrating and boring and he just gives up. I think he needs to go back to the beginning and relearn all the letters, but, again, SO dull.

Is there any way to make it interesting, or to convince him that the end result will be worth it?

I have a similar issue, although ds is possibly not as bright as yours! I struggle with not wanting to slow him down, but really wanting to catch the basic problems, iykwim.

Things we have tried:

• letter formation book. We choose a few letters, and ds just focuses on writing them as beautifully as he can. We each choose the best and worst on each line.
• writing a story where him and me alternate writing one word each. He tried to write so neatly you can't tell the difference
• I really, really try to give lots of praise - as he talks about not liking writing and not being good at it ... looking back at how he was writing and how much he's improved is the most tangible way to do that for him

Here are some ideas...

Make sure he 'warms up' before writing.

have fine motor skill toys, like bubble wrap to pop, play dough to pull, screws and nuts and bolts to put togther, clothes pegs to put around a cup. All these will help to strengthen his writing muscles

And lots of books available form WH Smiths,

I don't think it's the muscles that are the problem, he doesn't seem to have any trouble with drawing, or putting lego together, meccano etc. He just forms his letters really weirdly! Backwards and starting at the wrong place.

I will have a look for some letter formation books, and writing a story together sounds like a great idea.

Look into the Teodorescu 'Write from the Start' writing programme. It has lots of different exercises to develop fine motor skills needed for handwriting.

I have heard that something matures at about 7 which makes writing a lot easier.So maybe just bide your time.
In any case Don't you think he's had enough when he's been at school all day?

Yes, I do. That's why he does nothing after school but play and read and eat. But we have 24hrs to fill at the weekend!

I'd second the excellence of the Teodorescu "Write from the Start" programme. Loads of exercises to help the various skills needed for good handwriting.

As you are asking about ways to make it slightly more interesting or rewarding I have a suggestion that I have used in the past with my son. When we have done handwriting practice I put a sweet (smartie, choc button) at the end of each line of letters. When he gets to the end, he gets to eat the sweet! You can easily do this with handwriting workbooks or make handwriting sheets yourself. If the practice lines are short to begin with there is a quick reward, then you can lengthen the lines to get writing stamina up. I suppose if you were so inclined you could use five pence pieces or raisins but chocolate works best in my house .

The best (most fun) way I know of teaching the sequence of movements to form letters correctly for 6 year old boys is air writing using a light sabre (yes I know it sounds mad)
The important part it to establish the correct starting point and movements (movements as big as possible)until it becomes automatic. I teach my class to verbalise the sequence until it becomes firmly established.
The problem with waiting as brassband suggests is that bad letter formation will become established during daily writing and it makes it harder to correct later. It wouldn't matter if the child wasn't already writing

I wd also really recommend the "Write from the start" programme. DS (5) severely dyspraxic and hypermobile and just 5 mins per day of this has helped enormously.

Also Mrz advice is as usual great-larger movements really help initially-we got DS to write big letters on a whiteboard to try and increase gross muscle strength & co-ordination.

HTH

Now, light sabres sound cool and I am stealing that idea!

But can I also say please try the Teodorescu "Write from the Start" programme. It is pricey but we've seen enormous improvement in our son and we were really starting to despair. This is after more-or-less daily practise for three months. Each exercise doesn't take long, so it is not as though you are condemning them to a home life of misery.

letter formation movements

Curly caterpillar family
Anticlockwise movements
c round

o round, round and join

a round, up, down and flick

d round, up, up, down, down and flick

g round, up, down, down and round

q round, up, down, down and tick

s round and round the other way

f round, down, down and round ? across

e across and round
one armed robot family
down, up and over movements

r down, up and over a bit

n down, up, over, down and flick

m down, up, over and down, up, over, down and flick

h down, down, up a bit, over, down and flick

b down, down, up a bit, over and round

p down, down, up, up, over and round

k down, down, up a bit, over, round, out and flick

long ladder family
mainly down and round movements

l down, down and flick

i down and flick ? dot

t down and flick ? across

j down, down and round ? dot

u down, round, up, down and flick

y down, round, up, down, down and round

zig zag monster
diagonal movements

v down, up

w down, up, down, up

x down, stop ? down, stop

z across, down, across

for cursive from the line add a "whoosh up" to the starting point

I use Write from the Start but if he has good pencil control it may not be necessary.

With my ds I started with the basic tracing of the letters on sandpaper ( I made some similar to the montessori ones and then moved onto forming them in sand/flour/shaving form in a tray.Then on a blackboard with chalk and finally vertical whiteboard with whiteboard pens.I think the resistance and the different materials slows things down and helps with interest.

I agree with mrz that it needs to be automatic and I always said the up,down across etc. to ensure the formation was correct.
It has to be second nature.

Love the light sabre idea.

Lots of good ideas, thanks! We will definitely be doing the light saber thing. I'm not to keen on the idea of spending a lot of money on something (or spending any money really, I am poor!), but we'll see how we go.

Thanks for this thread - just the advice I need for my DS.

Ooooh - fantastic idea mrz. Just ordering light saber from Amazon!