Handwriting

[icecreamvan]

How many marks are lost for failing to do cursive handwriting - in the SATs?

My son is in Year 5. His school has never taught them how to do cursive. I've tried at home, but never learned myself - so haven't done a very good job.

DS has cerebral palsy - v. mild, but it does affect his hands - one more so than the other

He writes legibly. Nicely when he tries - its just a mixture of cursive and print. However much he tries that is the best he can do. He is very good at literacy. I don't want him to have a scribe, just because he's not doing perfect cursive handwriting (which the school have suggested) I think its better that he expresses things himself without intervention.

And if he is forced to have a scribe or if he's going to lose loads of marks because of not perfect cursive - I'd rather he misses the SATs. We'll boycott them.

Am I being unreasonable/over-reactive?

[Coconut0il]

Yes that's what I was thinking of miaow, thank you.
Did you speak to the school OP? Do they want the scribe for the tests so your son has a better chance of finishing? No one has answered but I'm positive there is no handwriting element to the tests he will do. Only for the teacher assessed writing.

[icecreamvan]

My son also has cerebral palsy. He can write but, as the other poster with a child with CP says, the fluency, speed and tidiness etc is compromised.

My DS couldn't write quickly at all with a keyboard - he only has the use of one hand.

Definitely there is a handwriting element to the literacy tests. I've spoken to the DfE. If the handwriting is not legible cursive - or if a scribe or other aid is used - regardless of the content of the work written down, a child cannot be given higher/ in depth levels or marks. They will be marked down as having a basic pass.

[mrz]

Sometimes speech recognition software is required if a child's difficulties are such that they physically can't produce the volume of writing required.

In my experience working with children with CP (and I know every every child is different) once they master cursive they find it is much easier and less of an effort than print because there isn't that stop start element and while they may not produce writing of the same standard as a child without their disability they can produce work to be extremely proud of.

[MrsKCastle]

Icecreamvan just to clarify, the handwriting needs to be cursive for the teacher assessment in writing. The SATs tests themselves are in reading, maths and spelling punctuation and grammar. The children don't need to write in cursive in the tests as they are assessing different things. Your child's reading and maths scores obviously will not be affected by his handwriting.

I do fully sympathise with your frustration about the writing level though. A child who has physical difficulties, cannot always write in neat cursive but can spell, use punctuation, write imaginatively and confidently etc- it's wrong to say that such a child can only achieve expected levels.

[icecreamvan]

Thank you MrsK and mrz.

I am persevering with the joined up - as is the teacher at school. I've noticed DS has got into many bad habits with his joins and letter formations. So I'm pulling things back and getting him to write a couple of words in cursive before school and after school just to remember the joins.

We'll see if it works. We're aiming for legible as I don't think we'll get beautiful.

But I am upset that the DfE or whoever it is who makes these decisions can say that a child who struggles with the physical part of putting thoughts down on paper can only reach expected levels.

I did try to contact the Human Rights commission and will at some point write to the DfE about this (not that it will probably make one bit of difference).

Thanks also for clarifying what is involved in the SATS tests MrsK. And where the writing actually matters.

[Coconut0il]

I'm glad I've read your post MrsK. I put that in my first reply and then started to doubt myself. I even read the mark scheme for last year's reading paper to be sure. There is no handwriting element for the papers your DS will do during the test week ice so whoever you spoke to at the dfe about handwriting marks in the literacy tests is incorrect. There is a reading test and a grammar test. The mark schemes are available to look at on a website called primary tools, there are no handwriting marks.
I agree that the rules for the writing assessment are unfair.

[flupcake]

DS has similar issues. Has always struggled with fine motor skills and his handwriting is very messy (year 4). He is way off being able to write neat cursive. He's had occupational therapy, we've tried various writing aids, and we do handwriting practice at home. He tries but still finds it very hard, we aren't sure why. However his teacher reports that his language and vocabulary are excellent, spelling is good, his story writing is really interesting. But I know that because of his poor handwriting he is marked as working below expectations and it will affect his SATS results. To be honest I don't care about SATS but I think it's not a fair expectation on children who are physically unable to write neatly in cursive.
I do sometimes get him to type homework if it's a long piece of work because otherwise he gets quite demoralised. But I am aware he still needs to learn to write legibly as well.

[mrz]

It has to be legible not perfect

[LoisEighty]

SATs results are important to teachers, but honestly why should a child or parent care if they are expected or getting mastery or whatever. Does the child even need to know what the assessment is?

[mrz]

The child doesn't need to know but it's highly likely they will be told and it's certain that the secondary school will know as the government use the results to set targets for GCSEs

[icecreamvan]

In that case mrz - is it worth missing the SATs altogether then? Secondary schools have told me that handwriting/cursive is not a problem there at all. One school we visited said they set children straight away based in their SATs results. They then test them later on with CATs (I think it is) and reset them.
My thoughts are that DS will be put into a lower set for literacy from the beginning because his writing is not cursive. Will get distracted by possibly less focus in the class and then never be able to move up.
So I'm wondering whether to boycott the SATs? I disagree with them. Think they put too much pressure on young kids and on the schools. And also I don't want DS's GCSE targets to be set from Year 7.

[mrz]

Whether you miss the actual tests or not their writing assessment standard will be reported as its a legal requirement

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

Went to ds2's Parents' Evening last night. His handwriting is even worse than ds1's (though he gets his capitals right). He is predicted to do well in the SATs. HT and DHT both said that his handwriting would not affect his SATs results, as it is legible.

Wish I'd thought to take a photo to show you.

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

Namechange fail.

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

BTW talk to his secondary school next year. I had concerns re one of my dc coping at secondary, so I made an appointment with the Head of Transition to discuss it as soon as we had accepted the place. HOT brought HOY7 to the meeting, they listened carefully to my concerns and put in place - with my agreement - strategies to help and support my dc. This included managing which class groups my dc was put into. My dc has no official SN.