DS has v v mild cerebral palsy. Because of this he hasn't always gone through milestones naturally, so I've had to do lots of physio and had to fit lots of practicing of things into his day.
When he started reception, this year, I got into the habit of practising reading every day. I was worried he may have dyslexia as lots of children with hemiplegia do and so wanted to find out early.
OT in our borough then did a writing workshop for parents of children with SN and emphasised that writing was not taught in schools - children were just left to pick it up. The workshop stressed that by Year 1 it was really important that children should be able to write and so parents should make sure that their children were practising every day.
The workshop sent me into a mild panic, as DS is not into putting pen to paper in any shape or form.
Since then I have made it compulsory that he writes something every day. We used to write things on the bath with bath crayons. For a while he wrote on an old fashioned slate board a word a day. Now he writes on lined paper a word that he chooses about 3 times. We do this each morning before school.
DS is completely compliant with doing this. But I am aware that he would never choose to do it himself. I know of other children who come home from school and write for fun ...
I suppose I am just wondering whether I should listen to the OT - or whether I should wait for DS to do it of his own choosing. With reading, he chooses to practise. He really loves reading. I don't think he really loves writing and I wonder whether by making it daily practise/homework for him I might be putting him off.
Having said that, he is improving and I suppose by getting better at writing he will eventually have more confidence, which can of course affect enjoyment of an activity.