DS1, year 1, reluctant to write

[jmspbro]

DS1 is in year 1 and is generally getting on well. He is on level 7 ORT at school, and enjoys reading levels 12 - 13 books at home.
He is good at literacy and numeracy tasks that require short answers. We thought all was well until his teacher took us to one side recently and spoke to us explaining an aspect he was not doing so well in.

It appears he does not like 'long' tasks that require writing four sentences, for example.

At school, his class was taught linking works and descriptive words. This was introduced over several days culminating in an exercise to incorporate the newly learnt words into written sentences. DS1 was very reluctant to write anything, and then when he did write something, it was very little and it did not include any linking or descriptive words. Whilst the class was writing, DS1 appeared to be daydreaming and was not disruptive, or being disrupted by others.

That evening, I asked DS1 about the new words, and he spoke them out confidently. So the teaching had sunk in, but he was not able to put that down on paper.

The homework set for the half term is to choose 4 words from a selection of 10, and write an interesting sentence for each one. DS1 immediately turned his nose up at it. This is the first time he has shied away from homework.

So far, I have sat him down, typically 15 minutes at a time, and under the guise of using handwriting paper to add interest, he will write a sentence or two. However, it is like getting blood out of a stone. He has got it in his head, but he just will not get it down on paper. When he does manage to bring himself to write, he writes with slow steady confidence. He knows it, he's got it, but for most of the time, he just won't write it down.

How do we make the brain of DS1 to engage with his hand?

I sympathise but can't help, my DS hates writing with a passion, always has, is now in yr4. Sits for hours refusing to do writing homework. Will follow thread for anything that may help. In yr 1 & 2 I didn't make him do writing homework as I was afraid of putting him off. Since yr 3 I make him do it as it was obvious that by this stage he already hated it and I didn't think a bit of homework would make much difference to his overall attitude. I love reading and writing and find his attitude difficult to accept or to handle.

I can recommend:

www.amazon.co.uk/Games-Writing-Playful-Child-Learn/dp/0374524270/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329082637&sr=1-1

and this is good too - covers maths and reading too.

www.amazon.co.uk/Games-Learning-Peggy-Kaye/dp/0374522863/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329082698&sr=1-1

I've used them with both my DC and they are well worth the money (£10 - 12)

Good luck.

I have a year 2 [left handed- may be relevant] boy who has always written the minimum. No writing for 'fun' like some of the girls in his class [he just looks aghast at their oddness!]. However, suddenly in year 2 [this term] he seems to be more enthusiastic. He wants to please his teacher [which is new] and is making an effort. Will only write at home if knows school based activity or shopping list - cakes, toys added on etc!
He just clicked a bit. Still a bit slow but less antagonism towards it. Give your ds time.....

Agree with 2boys, it is very early days yet. A lot of DCs pick up reading very quickly and without apparent effort, with the obvious motivation of being able to enjoy a simple book. Writing, is a far more demanding skill - thinking what you want to say, thinking about how to spell the words and then the physical effort of getting it down on paper - and there is no real reason for wanting to do it anyway. I also think being expected to write 4 sentences is quite a lot for DCs this early in year 1 - especially if it is not just writing what you want to say, but also fitting it in the demands of the teacher's writing exercise.