DS1 has weak pencil control - how can I help him improve it???

[Maddison]

DS1 is 5 1/2 and just finished reception last week. His reports says that his pencil control is still weak and that when he is to do written work he tends to daydream.

I plan on working on this with him over the holidays but he says that writing is boring so he obviously doesn't enjoy doing it. I was thinking of asking him to make up a story, as his imagination is fantastic, and for him to write it but other than this is there anything else I can do with him?? Does anyone know of any worksheets I can print off for him to work on, also how do I make it fun for him??

I have just got for my dd1 and dd2 (one just finished reception, one about to start) handwriting workbooks from Wilkinson's. They have 4 lines to form the letters between and examples of how letters should fit between the lines, IYSWIM. They are only about 79p each.

Thanks for that Anniediv, I'll have a look into town tomorrow and get some

Same as my 6yo.
Some worksheets on here

My 6yo doesn't always like doing worksheets,though.
I've found that she does like writing letters to her friends, writing out birthday cards and now she is starting to like to copy down some of the stories in her books(or parts of them). She also likes to make up stories and I will write them down for her. I will also write the end of her story down on a seperate piece of paper and she will copy it onto the paper with the rest of the story on. Her pencil control is still not great but it is improving.

The site that the link points to also has examples of the lined writing paper to print out.

Have a look in Smiths for a Yoropen. Also get him busy doing things that involve fine motor skills, lots of cutting, threading, sticking etc. And get fish oils down him if he isn't already having them.

Thanks for the Juuule, that web site looks really good! I've only managed to have a quick flick through it but will have a better look once the kids are in bed.

Kittypickle, I never even thought of sticking, he has plenty of sticker books so we'll get started on that tomorrow. I suppose I could get him some beads too and he can make me a necklace!!

Will also get some of the fish oils when I'm in town.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

Tbh I really wouldn't stress. Lots of children that age have very poor pencil control, it develops with age. I would give him a break and let him relax this summer, otherwise he is liable to really hate writing and rebel everytime he sees a pencil.

Why not get him some 'special' felt-tips, crayons, pencils - my boys love those erasable Crayola crayons; and some fun paper. Then just leave them around where he can access them if/when he wants. Gently encourage, but don't pressurize him.

I certainly wouldn't press him to do worksheets or writing. Pencil control will improve just as well with colouring in or drawing, which it sounds as though he is more likely to enjoy.

Hama beads great for fine motor control . You can get them all over.

Agree about the Hama beads and they are great fun,too. You can get them in different sizes, too. A good site for them here .
As Roisin says you can get them anywhere.

I've just spent 5 years as Reception class teacher so we had this a lot. I used to say forget the worksheets and work on muscle tone so:
pegs
tweezers for moving things from one jar to another
threading beads
playdough
dry sand play
big painting ( on an easel)
gloop on a tray and making marks into that
let him have big chunky felt tips for writing - a much better result and they don't normally have them at school
wipeable writing things so they don't worry about mistakes eg super scribbler or the like

Once his coordination and muscle tone are built up more he may find writing easier. Also if he sees the point of writing he may do it. So no worksheets but lots of postcards, shopping lists, invitations, cards, making books, making labels for his toys, recipes etc.....

Hmm... I just read my first post and it comes across rather bossy - sorry! I should explain a bit - this is a bit of a bugbear of mine.

In this country many schools press 'writing' on children before some of them (esp boys) are ready for it, and the result is they are put off.

My ds1 is a July baby and did not start school until he was 5+2 months (straight into yr1). Because I knew the other children had done 'writing' in reception I taught him basic letter formation at home (he could already read). But that is all, he was reluctant to write and I left it at that.
By the end of the first term he was writing longer and more enthusiastically than most others in his class.

I agree with roisin and charmkin - both mine have poor fine motor control. I would let him relax and focus on the more fun activites like colouring, cutting, sticking, drawing in sand (the sort of things he doesn't realise are helping him!) and if he wants to write a few cards to granny or some postcards then great.

I agree hama beads are good but a warning in advance - both mine loved the idea but their fine motor skills were so poor that it totally frustrated them as they couldn't get the tiny beads on the pins!!

Dd has just finished yr 1 and I've just noticed an improvement in her letters but she still has some way to go but a hands off/gentle encouragement approach definitely seemed to work with her (and she also previously didn't enjoy writing).

Another one with 2 with poor fine motor. Agree with FIS about the Hama beads - we were at a friend's yesterday and DS2 (just about to turn 5) got frustrated within minutes because he couldn't do it.

I second all suggestions, if you can get your son to do them. He might enjoy lacing cards. Tearing and scrunching paper is also good for developing hand strength - you can stick the scrunched up paper on afterwards.

Also agree about trying not to turn him off. I had an unedifying experience with DS2 today, when I started off gently encouraging him to write something and we both ended up getting very cross. Unnecessary, my fault and not to be repeated.

This is an interesting thread. DS1 has also just finished Reception (but is only just 5)and has similar difficulties with writing. He also hates doing it (and drawing/colouring too). One idea I read about for hand strengthening is to bury some coins inside balls of clay or playdough and get the child to dig them out with their fingers. The clay has gone down very well with DS and he's even gone on to make some recognisable dinosaur models! (His drawing is still at the stage where he has to tell us what it is.) I'm pleased that the general advice is not to push - this has been my instinct but at the same time I feel that he should be 'practising'.

Roisin I didn't think your post was bossy at all! In fact the more I think about it I think you're right - pressuring him to write is likely to make him hate it. I've never seen the beads though, they look really good fun... if anything I'd enjoy doing them even if DS1 doesn't!! He does know he can get paper and pens/pencils/crayons etc whenever he wants - on Monday he saw an advert for a toy and I said to ask Santa for it when we write to him... he couldn't get a piece of paper quick enough and wrote a letter to Santa

Charmkin, your suggestions sound great too, definitely worth doing, thanks

FIS - hopefully this 'hands off' approach will work for DS as it is for you DD - thanks for the warning about the Hama beads too, I'll watch out for it.

Singersgirl, I know what you mean about both getting quite angry with each other. I once tried to make DS do some written homework and we both saw red! Not nice at all

Sphil - my DS also hates drawing and colouring in. It's only in the last couple of months that we can make out what he has drawn, tbh even in nursery he never did much in the way of drawing or painting and of course I have kept every piece of 'art' that he has done! I also felt that he should be working on his writing and drawing but after starting this thread and getting all these replies I'm just going to leave it up to him and gently encourage him to do other things instead.

Thank you all for taking the time to reply, I'm so glad I started this, I'm feeling much more chilled about this now