Should I get a tutor for my son?

[mynamesnotsam]

Ds (7) hates writing. It's a real battle to get him to do any. His hand writing is messy (sometimes barely readable). He's doing well with everything else. I don't think he's dyslexic. He got 2b for writing on his report at the end of year 2. Whenever I try to do any extra writing with him it just ends in him getting upset and not doing any. I know he's a boy and this is very common but I wonder if I should find him a tutor to give him some help with this as I'm worried that as he moves up the school he's going to have to write more and it's going to hold him back. Does anyone have experience of this?

I'm not sure if a tutor will make him enjoy writing more, but it does shift the agro off your shoulders.

When I was a TA with Yr 2 boys who couldn't/wouldn't write, I used to let them DICTATE their ideas to me and I would type on the computer for them. They enjoyed seeing their text appearing and plenty of good ideas flowed, once they were freed of the 'chore' of writing.

So if you have a tape recorder, or a phone he can use to record on, he can review it later, amend if necessary, and eventually write or type it.

This is not a total solution, as he will need to write directly in class, or for tests, but it may get past his objections when he realises he can produce quite good texts.

I have same problem with my ds.
He used to love writing(Christmas cards, diary, thank you notes, etc.), now he really hates it .
But he doesn't actually hate "writing" if he uses computer.
He loves doing project on the computer and writing play, poems, etc.
Teacher told me once, that get him to write something was a big effort.
I don't know if there is some issue behind it, but at the moment, I don't want to push him with it to make him hate writing completely.
I would like to know if there is any solution for this too.

Ds has always hated writing. Before he started school he would barely ever do any drawing or colouring. His hand writing book at school shows that he can form letters correctly but as soon as he's writing anything else it all goes out the window. Don't even get me started on the trauma of writing Christmas cards!

Same thing here but I am using a Minecraft Lego set as a reward for effort on practice over the summer! After a bit of complaining ds is getting stuck in so far. I saw this website www.teachhandwriting.co.uk and might try going through the steps with ds. If all this doesn't work we might get an OT assessment and after that a couple of sessions with a handwriting tutor..... Fingers crossed we can make some progress.... Stabilo ergo easy pencils are on offer on Ocado this week by the way

The only reason he is considering any work is the Lego motivator, so I second the idea above about engaging interest. Minecraft is one of the few things he will pick up a pencil for. He had a vague stab at writing/drawing a cartoon strip about it. He hates a blank page and having to fill it so that seemed a way of overcoming that hurdle

Hi there

The interactive whiteboard for iPads is good and they like using it. They can write with their fingers and see it appear on the pad. They can write letters, words etc and it helps with attention span and motor control.Actual writing should be short, punchy and fun. I am also of the opinion that it is not ok just to say you don't like it and you are no good at it. It is life, it is necessary, get over it....don't mean to sound too harsh...sorry.

No.
He's doing fine. Right where he should be.
Why then try to make him do more of something he doesn't enjoy, after he's been at school for 6 hours, having to write for probably at least half of it ?
Let him do things he enjoys and is good at - sports, music, arts, whatever. Let him find something he is great at.
Read to him, lots and lots, and/or encourage him to read for himself - jokes bokks and comics as well as more 'worthy' chapter books. encourage him to read encyclopedias / Guiness book of Records / numerous books about weird and wonderful facts / Children's newspaper / etc.etc. so his mind is totally expanded and full of ideas so when he has to write, it's only the mechanics of that that don't come easy for him - all the knowledge and language structure and knowledge of different genre are already there in his sub-conscious - and he only has to really try with the actual physical act of writing.

You can help the physical bit as well, by strengthening his fingers - by breaking apart lego bricks; by playing with plasticine or playdough (rolling, making balls, picking out beads or paperclips or pennies you've pushed in there); picking up playing cards or lotto cards or anything you pick up off a surface with a pincer grip; threading (sewing cards or anything on a string, like jewellry making); using clothes pegs either on a washing line or onto bits of card; those elastic band patterns on peg boards; any game with tweezers (eg 'Operation').

But don't make him sit with a tutor at 7