worrying again about my non-writing, non-drawing reception aged child!

[HonoriaGlossop]

I have posted before about how I think my ds' school have somewhat high expectations of the reception children and that I've tried to really remain calm about what ds does this year; he's the youngest in the school, August birthday and basically, he wasn't ready for school. He managed to settle in fantastically and has done all I could have hoped for in terms of behaving absolutely beautifully and making some friends, and basically coping in the very hectic (30 kids) class environment.

So he's great.

But as he finishes reception I'm really trying to remain strong and not care about his 'output' at this stage, I don't want to be pushy or make him anxious and I want him to have his freedom when he comes out of school.

So what he DOESN'T do is:
Read at all - he can recognise maybe 5 words?
Write any letters recognisably really, even his name
Draw recognisably - he knows what he's drawing, but it would not be recognisable to anyone - he also doesn't care about how it looks - he'll put his drawing say, right down at a bottom corner of the paper so that he doesn't have room for it or it goes accross a border or something and makes no visual sense at all!

OK, so what I want to know is, and be honest, do you think he may have some sprt of problem? His teacher has said "if that's where he is, fine" in the past but I know his skills aren't keeping up - saw all the kids little 'diaries' today and ALL of them are at least writing their name very clearly. Many doing detailed drawings, neatly coloured, one even a detailed map!

So any thoughts? Should I do anything, is there anything to be done or is this normal for other 4 yr olds - it doesn't seem normal is ds class!

Thanks if you've got this far

Anyone got any thoughts?

he is three months older than dd2 (starts in sept)

i'd be concerned aboutu not forming letters correctly at this age tbh

drawing often comes later esp in little boys

can you practise with him at home - does he hold a pencil correctly?

dd is 5 in october, she has some motor and visual issues
She cna read ably
but also cannot write can do huge letters very crudely IYKWIM but only E F M T O basically the easy ones.
She also struggles to draw but can make a crude face. And colouring in is not great either.
Her developmental paed said she had no worries at this stage as her pencil grip was still maturing and her visual problems were behind most of her difficulties. She said in another year she'd be concerned if it did not improve significantly within school.

thanks enid. He does hold a pencil correctly (as far as I know) and we've got him some grips to help. His pressure on the page seems very light thought.

I sort of CAN practice at home but have been reluctant to push him at all; he is an extremely sensitive boy and has done so incredibly well to settle in to school ( I really thought he'd be sobbing and being sick every morning judging on pre-school days) that I just have wanted to let home be home, rather than carrying on school stuff. And the trouble is that he is just utterly, completely uninterested in putting stuff down on paper. I've tried to bring it into our games when we are playing together "oh lets draw a treasure map for you Mr Pirate" but he just doesn't want to.

Thanks for your thoughts

btw this is awesome for helping - dd has come on leaps and bounds since we started this programme at home

teodorescu

sometimes they like those workbooks? maybe try one over summer?

but, tbh as the mother of a child who was very behind until the end of year 2, try not to worry

Mrmalory, thanks. I can't say it doesn't seem a bit much that for FIVE year olds in year one the 'pace and expectation really pick up'! I realise that's just my view because I really didn't want ds starting school this early.

I think he is one of the ones who the system really does no favours for.

I really appreciate your view though!

sorry wrong link

this one

she is right though, it does, esp if you have a schoool with 'high expectatinos'

Nope, Enid, we have so many workbooks we've tried; either ignored completely or scribbled over

That is reassuring though to hear that those who are behind may well pick up.

dd1 was bottom of clss for 2 years

I finally snapped in year 2 and she has had a private tutor for 6 months specialised in kids with SEN and dyslexia

she is now blessedly average

excellent, thanks for those ideas Malory; actually ds is an ACE pourer, has been for ages, never drips a drop - better than me

I will get him doing the chalk etc over the summer, thanks. Is etch a sketch the one where you have to twiddle a knob (as it were) to get the line?

yes, average is all that I am hoping for That is a very interesting thought about a tutor. Something I'll bear in mind if he stays like this next year. He hates it when I try to instruct him he just doesn't want me in that role with him. Accepts it graciously from his teachers luckily - so a tutor may be a good thought.

He just doesn't seem to 'see' what he is putting on the page, or where it is in relation to the page. I wonder now and again about dyslexia.

Honoria - the head at one of our local primaries says one of the purposes of P1 is to get the boys drawing (NB - not writing). She doesn't expect all boys to have those kinds of motor skills yet.

He's also v young. My ds is a September birthday, but we're in Scotland, so no one starts school under 4.5 - he'll be in the middle of the age range. 6 months can make a huge difference IMO.

His drawing has suddenly started to be really quite good. He was totally uninterested until a couple of months ago and would just draw "a pattern" to fill the page. Now he's interested because he's suddenly able to hold a pencil reasonably well (but needs reminding) and so can control what he wants to draw.

He wasn't interested when he couldn't make it look the way he wanted IYSWIM.

yes beads and lego

although dd1 always brill at those (her problems are what they call 'sequencing related' although she is great at patterns so go figure)

Malory, this is what worries me. I don't want ds labelled as NOT one of the 'bright' ones. He is so articulate and can understand and explain some really complex stuff. He just doesn't do words at the moment.

Will teachers think of him as not bright because of this in year one? That would be so sad.

bobsmum - THANKYOU. A boy who sounds very similar! You give me hope.