Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Original poster

Da hopeless at writing - here is an example.

188 replies

Notmymuse · 29/03/2015 17:52

Further to my previous thread ds (5) wrote this today. He self corrected a number of times and at the end went back and changed 'to' to 'two'. It took him around 5 minutes and says:

Jesus went into Jerusalem. He had the last supper. Judas betrayed him. The Roman king put two criminals up together. 'Which one shall I release?' said the king. Sadly Jesus was crucified.

Apart from criminals - which is spelt insanely - I'd have been able to get the rest but the handwriting continues to be horrific. He's 6 in June. This looks quite behind to me. Should I press the school for some further help? Certainly compared to all the beautiful work on his classroom walls he is behind.

Da hopeless at writing - here is an example.
OP posts:
Original poster
Notmymuse · 30/03/2015 15:17

No! He goes to a good state school!

Re the sports I just meant that it's good he's excelling at something because he's already aware he's not academically as far on as the others. A confidence thing really.

OP posts:
mrz · 30/03/2015 15:21

Thus is from the old national curriculum www.leics.gov.uk/writing_exemplar_-whole_document.pdf

ClickingCastanets · 30/03/2015 15:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

youarekiddingme · 30/03/2015 19:19

I wish you could see my DS (10) writing!!! he has hypotonia, hypermobility, DCD, dysgraphia and AS.

He writes no where as well as your DS - but yet there's more than one way to communicate in writing and when he has these supports he's above expected level.

Your version of what's neat handwriting does not equate to whether your DS is academic or not. Phonetically plausible spelling is acceptable right through infants.

Oh, and my DS gets 35-38/50 on a punctution and grammer tests and the most he's ever got out of 20 for the spelling test is 4! (Level 3-5 papers)

My DS cannot spell words like what and like correct when writing sentences - but can solve equations and balance them out.
Everyone will have their strengths and weaknesses and it's really unfair to your DS to base your ideas about his ability on what you consider poor handwriting. (Btw even his handwriting is good!)

ASorcererIsAWizardSquared · 30/03/2015 19:22

but you dont know he's not academic. HE'S 5 FOR FUCKS SAKE.

claravine · 30/03/2015 19:35

My child who is likely to leave year 6 on a level five for writing was barely able to write at five in year one,he could have just about written a simple sentence, never mind paraphrased the easter story. Not having the neatest writing in the class means absolutely nothing in relation to future academic achievement

LondonRocks · 30/03/2015 19:53

Fairynuff speak much sense.

LondonRocks · 30/03/2015 19:53

Fairenuff, I meant!

Itshouldntmatter · 30/03/2015 22:39

This thread is now making me angry. Op you must get a grip. It is pretty shocking that you describe that sample as hopeless, and even more so because it is your child you have described as hopeless. You have also suggested he might just not be academic, based on that sample. I honestly find it incredibly hard to believe you can be serious. You need not just to put his work on the fridge and say well done, you need to actually believe in your child. I do not mean having a blind confidence in your child's ability, I mean being able to apply common sense to your rediculous expectations. Your child is 5. That he can already write like that is an amazing achievement. Handwriting isn't the most crucial skill, thinking is. I don't mean to be harsh but you seem to have some serious underlying insecurities which you are projecting onto your child and you should stop and sort it out.

sailoratsea · 30/03/2015 22:42

For goodness sake. That writing is great for a 5 year old. I hope you told him so.

Nowfeeltheneedtopost · 30/03/2015 23:01

You seem determined to veer from one extreme to another, OP. You Feel the need to declare your DS "not academic" at five and also feel the need in other posts to say he is "excelling" at sport. Please get a grip. You don't need to label him at either end of those extremes, not at sport and not at "academic" work. He is 5. Children develop at different speeds, whether that is academic or sport or articulacy or confidence. Comparing him to other children will do him no good whatsoever and neither will suggesting he is dramatically bad or that "average" is behind or that he excels at sport...praising him for effort in whatever he does and recognising his achievements will be far more helpful to his long term happiness and success.

Pipbin · 30/03/2015 23:15

I have taught year one and reception.
This is just fine. In fact I would say it is a good piece of writing. He has used a variety of sentence starters for an example and the spelling are phonetically plausible.

Did he get his Early Learning Goals at the end of Reception? (you mentioned profile before but they dropped that a while ago)

Stop comparing his work to the work of others in the class. When did you see them? Where they on display? You don't know how much help they had with their work or if it was corrected and then rewritten for the display.
He is himself, stop comparing him to others.

WyrdByrd · 30/03/2015 23:28

OK, I couldn't see your photo earlier but I can now.

The really important thing here is that he is getting pretty much all his key words right and above all - he is obviously wanting to write. The handwriting is largely immaterial at this age - it will come and is the least relevant indicator of academic ability I can imagine.

You mention that your DS is left handed which will probably make it trickier for him to get the hang of penmanship. Perhaps get him some colouring books to help develop his fine motor skills if it's really bothering you, but I think you need to chill out.

I'm also quite horrified that he's already aware he's not academically as far on as the others. If you are trying to boost his confidence at home, then this is obviously due to the way the school are doing things and I would be very concerned about it.

guilianna · 30/03/2015 23:36

If he chose to write like that, on a Sunday, independently, he seems like a real writer to me.

Ionone · 30/03/2015 23:44

I would be looking for a different school. One where his desire to write would be celebrated and encouraged. I'd be looking for a school where his position in class was more closely matched to his actual ability (and where it was less important). I'd also be looking for a school which was kinder to its lower ability children. There are plenty of children at 7 or 8 who struggle to write a few words and whose schools are able to encourage and support them. Your child's school seems unable to support a clever, willing, able child. I don't think I'd like to send my child to a school like that.

HaveYouTriedARewardChart · 30/03/2015 23:46

You need to listen to what people arettelling you op Comparing with other children is pointless. It's a pretty excellent piece of work for y1 and to think you would class him as unlikely to be academic based on five-year-old handwriting..... Sad

Pipbin · 30/03/2015 23:58

I'd be looking for a school where his position in class was more closely matched to his actual ability

If, and it's a big if, he is the 'bottom of the class' then it might be that everyone else in the class is above him and super clever at that. He might well be in the right group for his ability level.
If you don't agree then talk to his teacher. Changing schools for the second time at 5 years old won't help.

LondonRocks · 31/03/2015 00:01

I also couldn't see the writing until now. I really think you need to get a grip and stop comparing your child to others. Seriously. He's fine. It's not a competition, in any case.

LatinForTelly · 31/03/2015 10:07

I too have only just been able to see the picture of his writing in your OP.

I agree fully with guilianna who said: 'If he chose to write like that, on a Sunday, independently, he seems like a real writer to me.

Original poster
Notmymuse · 31/03/2015 16:46

pipbin he was exceeding in 10 or 11 goals (not writing though) and met the others. The levels were inflated though IMO as he was leaving they could put what they liked and it looked good on their stats but they weren't responsible for ensuring progress was then made to the appropriate next level. His current teacher agrees that they were massively inflated levels.

I will stop worrying re the writing however!

OP posts:
Mummyfit · 01/04/2015 18:28

Sounds like hes doing great, I understand your concerns with him being young but I'm sure compared to the national averages he is doing great. I was a late developer, my 4 year old reads better than I could at 7 - not because he is particularly advanced but I was soooo behind, didn't stop me doing really well in high school when I finally caught up with reading and writing and going on to get a degree. Everyone has their own pace he doesn't seem behind I'd be really proud as I'm sure you are but no need for concern, I'd be more concerned the teacher is making you and potentially him feel he is behind when he isn't. Helping weaknesses is one thing but there is a fine line and he needs support and encouragement x x

BlackSwan · 01/04/2015 20:33

I would class this as a failed stealth boast.

zoemaguire · 01/04/2015 20:43

Jeez what a depressing thread.

I've just recently gone through and chucked out my old primary schoolbooks. I was not writing like that at five. Nowhere close. I still have three Oxbridge degrees.

Not that they've got me anywhere. I had teachers like you. You carry on thinking as you do, and you are setting your son up for a lifetime of damaging perfectionism, chronic self-doubt and total lack of intrinsic motivation for tasks. Seriously, this kind of extreme reification of academic achievement and insane competitiveness is DAMAGING.

Read up on a bit of basic child psychology. It would be time really well spent, I promise.

LondonRocks · 01/04/2015 22:45

I really hope this is a failed stealth boast, as the alternative is really quite saddening.

FaceofNubia · 01/04/2015 22:53

My goodness OP! this has got be a stealth boast for sure. This is a very good piece of work, he is 5! he remembered the key events that took place and his inference is correct. He is also remembers key people, the Romans King, the criminals, that he went to "Jerusalem" etc, he is doing very well.