DS(10) has dropped a level in his writing - how can I help him?

[mamapetal]

I have approached his teacher about this - the teacher mentioned his handwriting and stated this needs improving - however I did feel I was being fobbed off!! The teacher did not mention any other areas of improvement.

I attended a recent English workshop held in his classroom and got the impression he was struggling. The children had the task of writing using paragraphs - DS managed to complete one paragraph but did not get beyond this - yet the other children managed to complete the task.

He is currently in a class of 30 and I feel he simply is'nt getting the attention he needs to improve on something he finds difficult. How to help him?

How good is your own writing? Write stories with him, discuss them, discuss how you wrote them, discuss the characters and the adventures. Get him to write stories about his favourite activities. Read newspapers with him. Discuss them. Find a book on how to write creatively with children and discuss its contents with him. Practice handwriting with him. He might have issues with holding the pen or pencil. Make him aware of the process of creating a piece of creative writing, ie what it involves, (rather than just doing it because the teacher asked for it.) If he's writing about what he'd like for a treat, and if you like the way he's written it he's going to get it, he should be enthused.

The idea is similar to the children on the BBC news website who had to write to the Harlem Globetrotters and were selected as the school which received a visit. I'm sure children's TV has opportunities to write in to things too.

If he is in Yr6 & approaching SATs, I wouldn't spend ages & ages on practising his handwriting as it is worth very few marks in the tests(though obviously it needs to be legible)& there are better things to focus on.

Punctuation - can he accurately use a wide variety as well as the basics?

Does he use a wide variety of exciting vocabulary when he writes?

Does he structure his writing & use paragraphs so there is a clear beginning, middle & end?

Does he use different ways of starting/opening sentences rather than the same ways all the time?

Is he writing enough to show what he is capable of?

There is a lot for them to think about when writing & inevitably they can't remember all of it, but that might give you some areas to work on. He'll need experience of writing in different genres too - which hopefully he gets in class. From what you have said, it certainly sounds like you were a bit fobbed off. Hopefully it was a one off from the teacher or a difficult day when you saw him/her because handwriting practise is not great advice for a 10yr old!

Good luck.

I'd say with punctuation concentrate on the well known elements, full stops, capital letters, commas and apostrophes. Many well-educated people put commas and apostrophes in the wrong places. I'm not too sure how much use semi-colons, full colons m-dashes and some of the other less common elements are. Try Lynn Truss' Eats shoots and leaves.

Evidence suggests that although there are very few marks awarded for handwriting there is an unconscious assumption by markers that well presented work is of a higher standard.
and ...
www.telegraph.co.uk/education/3217256/Pupils-with-poor-handwriting-do-less-well-in-school-tests.html

Thanks for all the advice -mrz- I can appreciate what the article is trying to point out and I get the feeling this is how DS teacher sees it as well. However, if I read a piece of DSs writing and feel he has written it creatively and imaginatively but lacks punctuation, spelling and good handwriting I personally would be happy, regardless of the level he was achieving according to the school. At the moment DS is totally demotivated in class and producing very little work and I can see him going even further back with his ability to write.