Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

DSs Writing would be improved if.....

36 replies

IndigoBell · 25/05/2011 10:55

Spoke to DS2s (Y2) teacher about why he hasn't made as much progress as we'd hoped this year.

And she said "It would be better if he didn't always write about penguins."

We think he's probably on the spectrum (for many reasons), but she disagrees and think this is perfectly normal behaviour for a 7 year old.......

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

rebl · 25/05/2011 11:02

But there is so much to write about penguins .

Why doesn't she think he's on the spectrum?

Tiggles · 25/05/2011 12:02

DSs teacher refuses to let him write about his special interests in any shape or form. The nearest he is allowed to come to writing aobut them (Starwars and Dr. Who) is writing his own space or sci fi stories.
It has led to many many tears in school.

Original poster

IndigoBell · 25/05/2011 12:06

LMG - is your DS on the spectrum?

Do NT kids obsessively write and talk about the same topic?

Good point though, if his teacher tried to stop him writing about penguins maybe then she'd realise why we think he's on the spectrum....

OP posts:

DamselInDisguise · 25/05/2011 12:10

NT kids do talk incessantly about the same topic. DS1 has been talking about Pokemon for years.

WeirdAcronymNotKnown · 25/05/2011 12:16

Actually did LOL at your OP :o I thought you meant handwriting, and I was wondering how the Jeff penguins were related to neat letter formation!

My dad used to call me penguin. Because I like fish, but can't fly...

wheresthepimms · 25/05/2011 13:18

My DS7 constantly writes about aliens and space pirates wonder what she would think about that. Other DS used to constantly write about rocks and geology (with intricate geological terms that the teacher and I had to google to check he was right) when he was 7 think little boys just obsess about different things to little girls, would she complain about princesses and ponies?

Original poster

IndigoBell · 25/05/2011 13:25

The teacher isn't complaining.

She's saying she can't mark him at the next level because whatever she asks him to do he adds a penguin to it. So he's not demonstrating whatever it is she's looking for.... Breadth?

OP posts:

thisisyesterday · 25/05/2011 13:27

I think it's pretty clever to be able to find a penguin link even where there is none!

BooyHoo · 25/05/2011 13:29

my ds is almost six and is obsessed with 'scientifics' (scientists). he cant write yet though so i get regular illustrated versions of 'a day in the life of a scientific'

lovecheese · 25/05/2011 13:45

IndigoBell - "Whatever she asks him to do he adds a penguin to it"

PMSL! Quote of the year!

And well done to IndigoBell-let for managing to introduce a penguin in every situation!

wheresthepimms · 25/05/2011 13:51

Surely she isn't telling him what it is he needs to demonstrate, my DS didn't go up levels until he actually saw the list of targets, then he understood what he needed to do and wrote appropriate stuff (still including space pirates and evil aliens). Think the teacher needs to explain what it is she is looking for more clearly, looking at the reading assessments you could pass all the levels talking about penguins if you are clever, think she needs to get over his obsession and start helping him by using the penguins in a constructive way (they do rule the world you know, your DS is very intelligent if he already realises this)

WowOoo · 25/05/2011 13:51

It reminds me of a Not the Nine O'clock news sketch from years ago (yes, I'm that old) where Atkinson always mentioned a parrot called ? in every essay or report.

My 5 yr old will only draw or write about Moshi monsters at the moment. If it gets him writing I let him.I thought it was a boy thing.

If there's no interest, why would your ds want to write? I can see why they don't want to write about other things, bless them!

teacherwith2kids · 25/05/2011 14:51

I have to say that I deliberately introduce a dinosaur into any writing I want one of my pupils (who is definitely on the spectrum) to do..

I would far rather get (and can much more easily assess) the pages of enthusiastic, imaginative, descriptive writing that I get this way.

It's quite easy, and doesn't even need to involve him using the word 'dinosaur' in his writing... 'Write an information text that would tell a dinosaur about India [or whatever]. Remember that the dinosaurs were alive a very long time ago and they won't know anything about modern India so you will have to explain everything REALLY carefully and might need to draw some diagrams.'

I do have to overcome the literal mindedness that says 'dinosaurs can't read', but there are many good fiction books about dinosaurs that he's read at home and at school, so he can handle the dinosaur / modern world juxtaposition quite calmly.

Can't you get your son's teacher to do the same kind of thing (obviously substituting 'penguin' for 'dinosaur'!)?

Original poster

IndigoBell · 25/05/2011 15:09

Teacher - I can't ask DSs teacher to do anything like that because she doesn't think there is a problem. She thinks it's all perfectly normal.

She is not concerned about his lack of progress this term. She's not concerned about improving his writing. He's getting a 2c or 2b in his SATs, and she's happy with that.

But in January she thought he'd get a 2a or a 3........ And when I asked why he didn't achieve a 2a she said it was because he only wrote about penguins.

But she is not at all concerned. And she also doesn't think he has ASD.

OP posts:

sarahfreck · 25/05/2011 19:31

Hmmm.

Original poster

IndigoBell · 26/05/2011 06:11

Please elaborate Sarah. Tell me what you think....

OP posts:

mathanxiety · 26/05/2011 06:31

Does he write well about penguins? Colourfully? Imaginatively? Spellings and handwriting accurate and legible? Is he showing growth in vocabulary? Has the quality of his writing improved over the course of the year?

She's not concerned and she's revised her expectations downward... Sounds like a teacher who is quite lazy actually. Why can't she find ways to incorporate penguins into his exercises?

My DCs have done all sorts of stuff with lessons ostensibly on dinosaurs.

travellingwilbury · 26/05/2011 06:35

My DS , also 7 , is the same . His teacher thinks he would concentrate and work a lot harder if every topic was about BMXing and skateboarding .

I did secretely wonder why they couldn't be added in there somewhere if it was going to help him .

Original poster

IndigoBell · 26/05/2011 07:32

His writing improved a lot in the first term and she was very positive about him.

I don't think it improved much in the second term.

But she said his punctuation and vocab and most things were fine. His handwriting and sentence structure she said could be better. But the thing that really let him down was the fact he always wrote about penguins.

I'm not concerned about his writing at the moment. It is too late in the year for that. I'll talk to next years teacher about his writing next year.

But what I am concerned about is whether or not he has ASD. His teacher thinks he just has 'learnt behaviour' from his older brother who does have ASD.

But after being through all the dx process once with DS1, I really, really can't be bothered doing it all again for DS2 if school don't think he has it.......

OP posts:

JemimaMop · 26/05/2011 07:37

My just turned 7 year old can turn almost any topic of writing or conversation to Iron Age Britain. His teacher thinks it is quite funny. As long as his writing quality is improving I'm not worried, he will either grow out of it or become an archaeologist

magicmummy1 · 26/05/2011 07:39

No useful advice but he sounds adorable!

lillybloom · 26/05/2011 07:41

Does DS2 write about Dinosaurs all the time? One teacher isn't the school. I'd raise your concerns with the HT. The earlier the dx, the earlier the interventions, the better for the child.

thefirstMrsDeVere · 26/05/2011 07:48

My DS comes home with examples of his work and I am always really impressed at how his teacher and TA manage to incorporate Dr Who into every subject.

Dr Who standing next to a row of times tables.
A Darlek on top of a pie chart
Amazing how many times a cyberman can pop up in a story about ancient Rome.

They went to SeaLife this week. I fully expect DS's report to include a description of how an Ood was floating about amoung the fishes.

Whats wrong with penguins anyway? There is a lot of things to learn about penguins.

He sounds great

flimflammery · 26/05/2011 07:50

My DS (age 5) likes drawing volcanoes (until recently it was the only thing he would draw). Last term their topic was learning about other natural environments - forests, deserts, etc. He drew a volcano. They do this thing here (abroad) where the teacher writes down the child's comments about their work. So underneath his volcano it said. 'Teacher: how does this picture link to the topic? DS: If you climb up a volcano, it's a different environment.'

bigTillyMint · 26/05/2011 07:51

I love that your DS writes about penguins all the time and that he puts a penguin into all his work

I would have thought that you have far more experience of ASD than the teacher - follow your instincts. It is not "normal" for a child to only want to write about one subject. I agree, one teacher is not the school.

Flip

1 2