Where to buy work books for writing for my ds age 4

[mmjeozz]

My son is in reception and is struggling with his writing, I know he's still only young but I want to buy some work book to help him with at home. You know the ones where the letters are written in dots and you go round with your pencil. Where can I buy them and what are they actually called?

thanks

Probably at the library - but getting him to do mazes, spirals, and plently of drawing would be just as helpful. The books are pitched more at 6 + IMHO

WHSMith sell them too.

The Works have some cheap or you can download scripts from t'internet. tbh doing repetitive letters can be a turn off, try dot to dots etc too

ok thanks, just had his first parents evening and his teachers says he's struggling a bit!

Why don't you let hime trywith sand first which can be fun for him as well, takes the pressure of and makes a game out of it. And the books, can you not do them yourself?

lol im just lazy! yes i have been doing his name myself and he's enjoying having a go!

You can usually get them from largish supermarkets. I've got them from Sainsbury's and Tescos. I've seen them in Morrisons and Asda too. They are produced by Dorling Kindersley and Letts but there may be more.

There is a dotty font that you can download to use with Word to create your own, plus several websites with printable sheets for this - just google.

Loads of places do the workbooks - supermarkets, bookshops, WHS Smiths, children's toy shops, etc.

I really wouldn't worry too much at this stage tbh.

Afaik it's during Yr 1 that they should be starting to write letter/words independently (only going by dd's progress though)

I would ask your ds's teacher.
At DS's school they are very very particular about how the letters are formed, where you start the pencil in the letter - and to me doesn't always seem obvious. it is because right from the strt they encourage them in a system that will make it easy to move not 'joined up' in Yr 3. They have issued us wih detailed guideins as to how to help writing, so as not to create habits that could hinder the school's system.

woolies do them - usually 3 for 2

Speak to the teacher & they may well provide you with something to help with letter formation.
Lots of schools (all schools in my area) use cursive script, where the children are encouraged to lead in & lead out when forming their letters, which makes it easier to start joining up later on.

I work in year 1, and if a child is having difficulties with their writing, we send home sheets of handwriting patterns.

A lot of the handwriting books that are available in the shops, do not encourage cursive writing, so it is definitely worth talking to the teacher first & seeing what they suggest.

Our libraries sell them right across the age range.

Oh, PC -that must be what DS does - cursive script.

It has defintely made it easier for him to start 'joined up', as he has started to do it all by himself as he has a taste for things twirly and decorative.

mmjeozz - ask the teacher - and 4 is very early to be 'pushing' writing skills, imo, so don't worry at all.

Thanks for everyone comments and info, Im really not pushing him at all, and Im not particulary worried about it just made me start to think as most of the other kids in the class can write their names. My son is still struggling to hold the pencil and keeps swappping hands! We are emigrating to oz soon and he will be in kindy there so will probably all be different anyway!

Thanks

WH Smith

Hi,

My daughter has a Leapster Max which has a game on it called something like Mr Pencil's "learn to write and draw" it's great because it has a section which practices letter formation and has mazes etc to practice hand control.
We also have a light box thing from the ELC see here www.elc.co.uk/toy-41960?&category=533&age=48-72&price=none&els=none&filter=filter&parent_category_id =533
which is also good as you have write and wipe off cards with letters and words, I hope this is of help

If he is doing Jolly Phonics you might find the workbooks useful. They have a combination of practicing patterns and letters. You can buy them at ELC for 1.50 each (there are 7 for all the sounds). I agree with PC - find out whether they are going to teach cursive, they will need to start letters on the line instead of at the top!

wilkinsons do them for £2 or £3 for specific age groups

He's not struggling if he can't write his name at 4 - he's just not ready yet! When his brain and his hands catch up with each other he'll be fine!

Thanks everyone, I am so proud of him today he wrote his name all by his self!
We have been practising a bit and I write it and he copies but this morning he wrote it all by his self without copying from anything! A couple of the letter were back to front but he did soooo well!

The worksheets that they use in my son's school (he has also just started reception) come from a website called senteacher.org they have all sorts of fun "printables".

Link below is specific to handwriting and choose the "dotted font" it even has a bold dot to show them where to start.

You can customise it so you can write whatever you want and then print it off.

here

We were advised by his teacher to buy cheap laminator (tesco does one for £11) and then you can print whatever you want, laminate it and they can write over it. The teacher recommends using a wipe board pen because it flows easier and if they make a mistake you can rub it out.

At school they write their name in sand, chalk it outside on the playgound and use washing up bottles filled with water to learn to write.

Thanks Fizzylemonade; that is a great site.