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Primary education

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

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Original poster

Another 'how old is this child's writing'

23 replies

wellshouldistayorshouldigo · 19/01/2018 19:59

Getting so, so frustrated with the schools 'attempt' to help my dc, promising additional support and nothing coming of it. Sick of going in to chase them up, complaint put in, I'm trying to help as much as I can at home.
Can someone guess the age by the writing so I know I'm not going crazy? Thanks.

Another 'how old is this child's writing'

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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Showergel1 · 19/01/2018 20:02

Normal for year 1, seen it a lot in year 2, be worried in year 3.

Shannaratiger · 19/01/2018 20:05

Year 3/4 on quantity and content. Handwriting if is year 3 need lots of practice, think it will improve though, looks similar to my ds now in year 6 and has improved loads.

NorthernLurker · 19/01/2018 20:07

My youngest struggled a lot with writing up to end of year 4. Is your child older than that?

NorthernLurker · 19/01/2018 20:08

No sorry it was year 3, by mid year 4 it was hugely improved

Fishcalledlola · 19/01/2018 20:13

Dd's school has started publishing kids writing on a site called Pobble. Might be worth a look at other kids in your child's year group to compare.

Fishcalledlola · 19/01/2018 20:13

Dd's school has started publishing kids writing on a site called Pobble. Might be worth a look at other kids in your child's year group to compare.

PrincessoftheSea · 19/01/2018 20:16

Looks like my Ds handwriting and he is dyslexic

Original poster

wellshouldistayorshouldigo · 19/01/2018 20:19

Definitely think she is dyslexic, but apparently the school can't diagnose anymore, we have to pay privately for that!
Sorry I'm in Scotland so is years equivalent to primary?

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CommanderDaisy · 19/01/2018 20:26

Looks like my 14 year olds handwriting and he has dysgraphia - a learning disability regarding handwriting .
Does she do better verbalising her ideas vs writing them down?
And is it physically painful in her arm/hand to handwrite for extended periods? Those are two common ways to point to dysgraphia over dyslexia.

Original poster

wellshouldistayorshouldigo · 19/01/2018 20:32

Thanks everyone.

She's 9.. so I suppose there's a bit of scope yet.
We have wondered about dysgraphia too.. she does get sore writing for that long, and we're having some tests through occupational health for her gross motor skills too. Everything just seems to be taking years
She is much better verbalising, the school have told me for months that they will be using a computer and clicker (?) system but she hasn't had a go yet. She does write on a sloped board.

This writing is the neatest and longest she's ever done, sometimes it a completely illegible scribble. She struggles very much so copying things down from the board and is getting embarrassed/upset about her writing now.

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CommanderDaisy · 19/01/2018 20:49

If it is dysgraphia the earlier you can get it diagnosed the better.
And the sooner she is using a laptop all the time, and a scribe ( in high school) the better.

Sloped boards, heaps of occupational therapy and different pencils with grips help in the younger years, but I'd cut through all that and go straight for the technology.
My son will never be able to handwrite his way through school, but with tech and scribes he has gone from a D student, to an A student in two years. You will have to fight the school every step of the way, and it will be more of a challenge in high school. After a period of being that mum, with my sons school they are now on board. There are multiple accomodations that can be made, including teachers giving notes, and colour coding the blackboard - to indicate the most important info.
He thought he was stupid and untidy ( as did many of his teachers) but not any more. He knows he just has to do things differently and work smarter.

My DS was diagnosed by an educational pyschologist and an occupational therapist. And was formally diagnosed late at 11 ( due to living in the middle of nowhere with rubbish schools, and no services, and loooonng wait lists- Australia). We have since moved.

cariadlet · 20/01/2018 10:19

I teach Year 1 and most of my class are able to write much more neatly than that (eg forming letters correctly and sitting their letters on the line). The ones with very poor pencil control are either the youngest in the class and/or ones who are having some kind of extra support.

I would be really concerned with a 9 year old who is still struggling like that. There is a definite need for aids (eg writing slope) and some kind of intervention eg OT support.

Who have you spoken to at school? If it's only class teachers then try and see the SENCO. Sometimes class teachers have worries, but aren't in a position to provide extra support themselves.

If you've already had several meetings with the SENCO and Head then I'd write to the governors (and I'm saying that as a teacher who sees involving governors as the last resort).

Fresta · 20/01/2018 11:06

Her drawings are also incredibly immature for her age too; does she have other special needs or is it just writing. How is she at maths?

Original poster

wellshouldistayorshouldigo · 20/01/2018 11:24

Thank you for replies, I'm very worried but feel I'm forever fobbed off at the school, and because I don't particularly know exactly what support she needs I'm feel I'm getting nowhere.

I've mentioned senco but every time I go to school I have a meeting with learning support I think it is, they promise to do x,y,z and then nothing comes to any fruition. I've been saying since nursery she needs help.

She is under OT at the hospital and is supposed to be getting assessed for autism but again it's taking literally years. I'm so frustrated by it all. She has gone from a happy carefree girl to being so anxious, not wanting to go to school and crying every day. She has issues with her bowels too which I'm not sure is relevant, she is seen by a consultant but she can't control and often messes herself so that increases her anxiety at school too. Most days she comes home dirty, she is meant to have a care plan for her bowel issues and she had a helper teacher last year but not this class.

Maths she says she hates and says she can't do at all, we're able to do simple sums at home but it takes a lot to encourage her.

Sorry if this seems like a completely moan of a post, just lost and not sure how to help her.

Thanks again.

OP posts:

KateGrey · 20/01/2018 11:28

I have two dds with autism. Older of the two is 7. Your dd’s Writing is smaller and neater than my dd but I can’t make out of a lot of yours. My dd is hypermobile. Is your dd quite bendy. You can normally feel it in the fingers. It affects my dds handwriting a lot. We’re pushing in our ehcp this year computer typing which school will hate. Also my dd has visual motor integration diagnosed by a private OT and struggles to copy and control. Maths also an issue. Does your dd get any extra help? I’d make yourself a bit of a pain to the senco. Good luck. Poor kid sounds like she’s having a hard time

Chaosofcalm · 20/01/2018 11:30

Can you afford the private assessment?

Ask the teacher to print out information that she needs to copy down.

Norestformrz · 20/01/2018 11:48

I would ask your GP for a referral to an occupational therapist. If writing is painful there is an underlying cause which needs addressing urgently and it is amazing how quickly handwriting can improve.

Original poster

wellshouldistayorshouldigo · 20/01/2018 11:51

Stupid question - would senco be the person I see when I go in - I'm told he helps with educational needs and although I've mentioned awnci myself they've never actually said that's who he is, or if he's not they haven't pointed me to anyone else. I feel very uneducated about this all.

I've looked at private assessments but it's really a stretch and I really don't think I can afford it unfortunately.

The teacher is meant to print things out but never does, dd is meant to have a finger spacer but says they've never given her one, other kids keep taking her pencil grips and her alphabet strip keeps going missing from her desk. She's too embarrassed to use her toilet card so really the only aid she is using is her writing slope.

She is extremely clumsy and that was mentioned at OT when they were looking at her but that was months ago and I still haven't had an appointment for the next stage.

I really need to turn into that parent and not leave until I know that they are going to give her extra support. It's so hard getting her to school every morning, she cries most nights about going, Sundays being the worst.

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Original poster

wellshouldistayorshouldigo · 20/01/2018 11:51

Senco not awnci sorry, predictive text.

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Norestformrz · 20/01/2018 12:07

Pester the OP! Tell them it's having an adverse effect on her Education.
In England the SENCo would be the person to talk to but I'm not sure of the Scottish System.

KateGrey · 20/01/2018 12:16

Oh the Scottish system might be different. I’d go onto your school website and look at job titles but I suspect it’s the senco. If they don’t know they should know someone who does. Your dd deserves to have this taken seriously. I’d also get on to your Gp about an OT referral.

Original poster

wellshouldistayorshouldigo · 25/01/2018 02:46

Just wanted to come back to say thanks again to everyone, I've got a(nother) meeting at the school on Monday, does anyone have any tips so I can stand my ground and know exactly what to ask for? I don't even know what the job role is of the person I'm meant to be meeting with, I know I've met her once before when dyslexia was discussed and she covers parent support for primary 4.
I've also spoken to OT again, she said a report following my dds gross motor skill testing had been sent out to me, but obviously it's been lost somewhere surprise surprise she's sending another copy out and I've to meet up with her to discuss it in a couple of weeks. I don't really know how to push for the right things because I really don't know what I'm meant to be pushing for!
So frustrating, but I thank you all for your help and advice.

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halesie · 25/01/2018 03:10

Hi OP, definitely make sure they set up a meeting with SENCO, very odd if you haven't seen them yet.

You mentioned bowel issues - bowel / bladder issues are often connected with autism. My autistic DS has great control of his bowels but doesn't realise when he's only about to wee so that's when he has accidents. Two of my friends' autistic children (completely separate families) have it the other way round - they struggle to anticipate bowel movements. One is the same age as your DD. Not sure if that is a sensory issue or something else but may be worth talking to the OT about it if you haven't already. And keep pushing for the autism diagnosis process.

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