Please give me some advice about my ds (year 2) and writing. Feeling worried.

[beeflower]

In the beginning of year 1 my ds was really into writing. He wrote loads of really great stories and notes at home without any prompting and i was sure he wasn't going to have any problems with it at all. Roll on 1 year to the start of year 2 (and last few months of year 1). He now hates writing, visibly recoils if i ask him to write anything and i can't see any progress particularly in the year. Of course teachers say he is fine because he was already way ahead of average in year 1. I have not been remotely pushy, all the writing he does is at school or homework. I really don't know where it all went wrong or what to do about it. I know he can do so much more than he is.

It possibly hasn't gone wrong at all - he could just be developing new interests, and stepping back from old ones for a while. In which case, his Y1 writing (which sounds great) will stand him in good stead - and he'll come back to it easily when he needs to.

I wouldn't worry yet, tbh. Unless you think its linked to something going on at school, a teacher, or a specific event?

He is in a group with a couple of extremely competitive boys who compete about haw much they have written etc. Don't know if this may have bothered him. He also insists on doing joined up handwriting (like the others in his group) and i think he has to really concentrate to get it neat. He has not really mentioned any specific thing that may have bothered him except he says it boring.
Thinking about it he has really got into reading and drawing pictures during this time and is always doing one or the other when he used to be writing (when he is supposed to be going to sleep).

I think some teachers are not very good at inspiring individual children in the class. Maybe the writing he has been doing at school has seemed a bit boring for him and now he just associates writing with not much fun.

In my experience, some children will give up or refuse to do something if they feel that others are doing it better than themselves. In their eyes it is better to not attempt it than not be "the best". I know a boy who only decided to learn how to ride a bike after his little sister learned (oh the shame!!) as he was finding it tricky and so would rather not go there!! It seems to me that a combination of this attitude with your ds's friends and possibly finding the transition to joined writing hard may have put him off.

I'd have a word with his teacher to mention the over-competitiveness that is going on ( she may not have realised) and how he may be finding the transition to joined writing hard. She might be able to reinforce with these boys, that how much you write is not as important as the quality of the work etc.

At home, as long as he is doing any homework to a reasonable standard ( ie not refusing) then I'd leave it be - let him just enjoy his reading and drawing!