Writing and 5 year-old boys.....

[jollyboysmum]

DS1 is in reception at local state school that has good ofsted reports and is highly-thought of by parents. DS is very articulate, but can't write at all well. He quite enjoys reading, but in class this only happens for five minutes once a week. He wants to play outside all the time at school. At home we read and I try to engage him in writing, but he is just not interested. We have tried doing it before school (he's usually up 5.30/6) as he's tired after school. I don't want him to get switched off trying. There are 31 in his class, 20 boys, one of whom who requires all the attention of the TA. How can I engage him? The teacher has suggested I help him increase his concentration but had no suggestions on how to do this. I also have a very lively younger son I need to distract to help the older son. Nearing wits end!

I wouldn't worry too much about writing - DS didn't really start to write legibly until the final term of Year One, but he's doing well now in Yr2. Why's the teacher mentioning his concentration though? That's surely the interesting thing isn't it?

Hmmmmm, do you think this is the real problem then? What should I be looking out for with ADHD (sorry if that's quite right, cooking boys dinner!)

(not quite right I meant to say!)

Doesn't sound like ADHD to me. I think a lot of reception children find it hard to concentrate, but maybe ask the teacher again to see if he's markedly worse than the others, then work with her/ him from there.

He sounds like a normal reception child I wouldn't consider ADHD from your description

My son is in yr 1 whose birthday is 31st August, and he just hates school as now in year 1 they ony get choosing time twice a week so I think he finds the lessons quite hard and having to sit for long periods of time. He doens't like drawing and has only just started writing and his home work is always a constnt battle and after wrting one sentence he says he has had enough. His reading has also stopped pogressing as he tries to guess the words from the pictures and doesn' look at the letters. His school are quite strict and they miss out on play time for quite minor things so he thinks he is always naughty. I feel this may be counter productive as if he can not release his energy in a possitive way it will inevitably have a negative effect in the class room. I really just don't know how to engage him as any thing constructive I try and do wih him he is not interested and just wants to play football. I'm worried he will just switch of from education completely as he can see the others in his class are better than him and because he can't compete he wont try as he has fear of failure.

MrsC24, that sounds awful. Are you happy with the school overall? I don't know if this is helpful or just makes things worse, but it sounds very different from my son's school. Have you talked to his teacher about how he's feeling?

Hi - my DS1 doesn't like to write - he get cross because it doesn't come easily I think. he loves painting letters though - and I decided last week that some bribary was in order- so he got a star each day he did some writing at home - in the mornings - and then a treat at the end of the week - worked really well - won't do it every week but perhaps every other week

Mine thought it funny to write silly words, like 'bottom' and 'poo'. We used to make up daft little rhymes.

MrsC24, My DS also has birthday of 31st August, but is in Y2. Doesn't enjoy writing at all and spends longer working out how to reduce the number of words he has to write in his "holiday diary" then he does in writing it! He is football obsessed, so I try to engage him in football related stuff, read fotball books with him, and get him to copy the names of the Arsenal squad out!.. it seems to work for a little while!