Year 1 DS unable to form letters -still - should I worry? Advice?

[PiedWagtail]

DS is 5.5 and in Year 1. He always rushes at everything at 100 miles and hour and is left handed. Was doing homework with hm todsy and his letter formation is still very poor - just doesn't form any letters nicely and his writing is the worst in his class, I'd say. Still very very hard to read. Have been helping him - phonics worksheets at home, tilting the paper, one of those pencil grip thingies - but nothign seems to help. Is this normal at this age after a year of school? Any advice???

Has he been taught to form letters correctly and does his teacher reinforce correct formation or let him get away with poor handwriting

Yes he has (though with no reference to his left-handed ness) and yes she does. To no avail

There is very little difference between correct formation for a left/right hander. Tilt of paper and direction of cross strokes. It's best if he sits to the left of a right hander so as not to bump elbows when writing.
If he's rushing that won't help so perhaps accept less but insist it has to be good quality.

My DS sounds very similiar, left handed too, in a rush too, we have been working on it at home too but not much success...no solutions just empathy!

It is starting to impact other areas too e.g. maths you can't tell if he has put a 0 or a 6, a 3 or a 5 as he does symbols backward etc.

DS too- lots of his numbers are backwards... it's parents eve this week so will have a word then!

I have just bought some practice books for my kids, called Hilarious Handwriting. They are nice books because there's a story with the practice sheets, with stickers and a certificate. I have two boys and they just have 'bad habits' like starting the letters at the wrong place or writing some letters back to front. I am sorry but I think it's all down to practice, and you might have to find various ways for your DD to practice and enjoy it - make it exciting. Wo

My daughter is year 1 and her writing is pretty much illegible. School have put her and a few others in her class in a group for additional writing support which involves partly writing but also lots of fun activities to help their hand motor skills.

Advice I have had from teachers for this is to improve the motor skills include practicing doing up small buttons, sewing, colouring in with attention to staying in the lines etc.

We also do lots of practice with me dotting the letters and her going over the dots.

agree with other fine motor skills practice as already mentioned, sewing etc, but also practice writing big letter formation on a big surface, eg poster size paper on an easel and a chunky felt tip or crayon, or a bucket of water and a brush and 'paint' on the wall outside or on the ground,

try making your own letter cards with a line of glue in the shape of the letter and then sprinkle sand over it and leave them to dry - these can be used again and again- he can trace his finger along the letter shape and then when familiar with the shape, try it with his eyes closed - can you name this letter? don't try all the letters at once, start with letters in his name, siblings names, your names, pets etc

does he know the sounds of the letters? - encourage him to say them when actually writing the letter, so he begins to connect the sound with the correct letter formation

if you are doing dot to dot gradually reduce the dots so he has to take more contrl over the shape, until he is jsut left with a starting point dot and a dot at the end of the shape - link this with groups of letters that start at the same point, eg c,o,a,d,g that all start near the top and go around to the left.

i would try and rectify this as soon as possible, before it becomes a bad habit that is harder to undo and relearn