learning to write

[youbethemummylion]

My son is in nurseryclass and a few months ago was given 'homework' of learning to write his name. We were given a letter explaining to do about 3mins practice each day he picked it up quite quickly and could write his name perfectly (he has neater handwriting than OH!) after a few weeks.

We keep being told to keep up the practice but we have eased off from everyday as it seems a bit much as he can already do it so we have been doing a page of his shop bought workbook on days we don't do writing.

Anyway he has started writing his name incorrectly on purpose, acting silly and sometimes crying when I even mention writing (on the otherhand he asks to do more workbook pages) OH thinks this is because he is bored of only writing his first name over and over and over again. Does anyone know of some other words he should be learning, I thought about his surname but it is VERY long!

dot to dot doesn't have to be numbered it is just controlling a pencil from one dot to the next
your wipe clean book might be a lot more convenient but it's generally accepted that they just teach children to draw letters not actually learn how to write them correctly which is why when someone sits with the child and watches they find the letter that looks ok is in fact formed completely wrongly. Although I'm sure your children were well supervised when using the books and no bad habits were ingrained.
Yes reuseable stickers really do exist although the ones I have are pretty girly but they've lasted over a year

The wipeclean books I'm thinking of are partly numbers & letters but mostly just tracing blobs, like an octopus. So good for fine pencil control, I think. Not very ambitious.

None of mine could write their names or any letters clearly before starting school.

A great way to encourage mark making on these lovely summer days is outside. We use water and large paint brushes (make sure these are new if they are going to be sucked by a younger child!) my two love pretending to be painters and decorators outside. Chalk on the paving slabs is also popular especially if they are allowed to scrub it off with long handed washing up brushes afterwards. Having a tea party is also good, putting juice in the pretend tea pot and asking them to fill up the cups.
If you want to encourage writing make sure they are seeing you write often. I always make sure I write my shopping lists, thank you cards etc infront of my child and ask him to help compose the letter, list, card etc. Orally he can form a very good letter now. My oldest (4) also likes watching a really old jolly phonics video that I was given. I didn't really want to push letters or writing but he loves it (some of it is pants mind you) but they do talk about starting each letter from the top and letter families, he now says this to himself when play writing.
I would be very concerned if my nursery was asking me to complete such formal homework, and would argue against it at this stage, as I really do not feel that his muscles have developed enough to be doing this yet.
Whatever you do just make sure that he is having fun, they are only young once :)