DS2 is apparently at level 1a for writing

[Littleredsquirrel]

He is in Year 2, this is below where he should be isn't it?

Any ideas for how I get him to write!!?

Howmanydays its less about that and more about the fact that he goes to a selective independent. In January they have to sit an assessment to be allowed to progress to the junior section of the school next year (probably outing myself here). If he can't get his thoughts down onto paper he will have to leave.

What mrz says was very much our experience. Once handwriting was fluent and more natural, writing levels flew but until then letter formation distracted from content.

The handwriting thing is interesting. Ds2 (year 2) is also a good reader, but his writing was a struggle. The teacher and I both realised at the same time that in fact he was holding the pencil very awkwardly (he's right handed, but has a sort of left handed grip), and he was getting cramp.

we're using a pencil grip at home and at school, and school are sending his handwriting book home to practice.

the difference is fantastic. he wrote a two page story at school, and last week's homework was a comprehension which he managed in full sentences without any tears.

are school supporting him at all?

Scrapping levels isn't going to change whether a child is progressing at an appropriate rate, though. It will just scrap the recording of it.

Sitting I am going to ask that he sees the learning support teacher again if we can't improve things at home. Once they have letter formation right the learning support teacher usually only gets involved if they are struggling to keep up in terms of understanding the lessons. He has no problems in that regard at all.

"Scrapping levels isn't going to change whether a child is progressing at an appropriate rate, though. It will just scrap the recording of it." not so schools will still have to have a system to monitor progress ...they just won't be called levels. I suspect we may end up with something similar to EYFS relating to the new curriculum

Yes, careless wording. What I mean is that some children will still progress faster than expected and others will still progress slower than expected and whether you give it a 'level' or not, it will still be so.

I agree

Dd is a lefty and I always wondered if that was the issue but having seen her nice work I can see it isn't! I have an English lit degree,my writing is appalling and spelling not great. I can do it when pushed but have always been more interested putting my ideas down than worrying about the technicalities!

DD is capable of perfect letter formation when doing handwriting practice at home. However, when she attempts independent writing it all goes to pot

it takes time for fluent formation to become automatic

Mrz, I'm still quite concerned about ds2's grip tbh.

He has a fantastic and very experienced year 2 teacher, who is trying to support without making him too self conscious about it, but I don't really know how much of an issue it will be.

He is now holding correctly with his fingers etc, but bends his hand around, so he is almost above the page. His writing slants slightly to the left.

He is writing quicker, but it is still an effort.

It's an issue if it's causing him pain/slowing him down/his writing is illegible.
I would suggest strengthening his shoulder girdle (wall push offs, wheelbarrow walking, monkey bars type activities) and wrist (working on a vertical surface - whiteboard or chalkboard or using a writing slope in class)

Thank you! He'll love the idea of wheelbarrow walking (interestingly, he's been encouraged to use the monkey bars a lot at school this term, so maybe his teacher is thinking along the same lines).

I'm fighting the urge to keep correcting him, because he has stopped complaining since he started with the grip. It just looks so awkward to me.