How to get 5yo DS to write neatly and on the lines!s

[GentlyGentlyOhDear]

5yo DS is summer born in year 1 and a very reluctant writer. His reading is ok; he's on blue band and his phonics seems good but his writing is awful - both his motivation to do any and his presentation.

He finds it such a chore and has to be constantly reminded to keep his letters small and close together. He starts on one line and veers down to another or some words float up. I am trying to remind him when we sit down and do school work but I feel like I am constantly badgering him. Yet if I didnt badget him the writing would be practically illegible!

Does anyone have any tips?! We have done things like just getting him to do words on post its etc and do lots of play doh and painting. I feel like it is more a case of trying to get him to care!

My 5yo's writing is also like this, she is actually in reception and October born. I think a lot of this age is the same with writing. Glad his reading and writing are good. What about theraputty? Its basically a tough play dough, you can buy it or even make it. Threading is good also. My older boy also has this attitude to his writing, it is hard. 'Write from the start' book from Amazon is good, statrs with handwriting basics rather than just practicing letters xx

Thank you for the tips - will try theraputty and the book. Its so disheartening seeing some of the older children's writing (predominantly the girls too!) where letters are all the same size, neat on the line and it is miles away from ds's writing!
I'm hoping this will improve with age.

Apparently they should sit on a small table abs chairs so their feet are on the floor. I wouldn’t worry too much about how neat it looks, the content is more important.

Thing is, writing is one skill that does develop over time. My 4yo does everything except draw and write, and not for want of me trying different activities with him! He just doesn't fancy it. Fine motor skills etc really good, he can build intricate Lego and use a small screwdriver. He just doesn't like writing.

Maybe try a little less, and less often, or try more drawing rather than writing to help develop pen/pencil holding? Plenty of boys' writing is pretty terrible but a few years into school and it mostly catches up. And as I tell my 10yo, don't worry about what everyone else is doing, worry about how you're doing.

I wouldn't get worked up about it at all, at all.
It's a developmental thing and there are far more important things to learn. Focus on what he's keen to learn for now.
Also...
Bribe him.

And ignore the girls. It really doesn't matter.

Oh, and do lots of cutting and sticking. And unscrewing etc

Just leave him to it - what you don't want to do is put him off writing. He will get there!

This is a constant challenge with my 8yo DD. She was just never into fine motor skills (like colouring in, playdough etc) but brilliant with gross motor skills and things like junk modelling. It has improved with time but we constantly have to re-iterate presentation of her work. So, don't give up but it is an iterative skills that takes time.

Just leave him to it - what you don't want to do is put him off writing. He will get there!

This pp has it. My son is 18 now and I wish I hadn’t spent so much of his childhood stressing and worrying over things like this.

I will take the advice to not stress as much about it. I just don't want him to get left behind or labelled as not clever because of it. Feeling an awful lot of pressure with schools being out too to make sure we are making progress!
Cutting is also a good idea as he enjoys that.
Thanks all and glad to hear it is a common issue!

I agree with not stressing - he's only little - but if you want to try something I've seen work well, get one of those broad tip highlighters and draw along the lines. Ask him if he can get his letters in the highlighted bit (apart from the ascenders and descenders, obviously!)

My ds is similar age and similar with writing.
I do sympathise with them. It’s a bloody boring thing to do! Especially when they’re at home and not at school with everyone doing the same thing.
I don’t really stress about it but a few chocolate buttons seem to go a long way when it comes to bribery 😁

I was talking to ds(8) teacher about this recently.

She said she’d rather he enjoyed writing and rushed it, than that he was neat but bored.

Handwriting can come later, don’t pressure him, let him learn to love it. Practice writing notes to each other or clues for a treasure hunt. Anything that makes it fun.

My dd is 5 and summer born. Her handwriting is awful too but she's doing fine at reading and maths so I'm not going to get too worked up about it. Her school watch a video called dough disco on YouTube where they use theraputty/playdoh before writing. It's cheeeeeezzzeee but dd enjoys it

The highlighter tip is a good one thanks!
I do often resort to bribes too!
Will check out dough disco too and thats a good idea to do it before writing. Im really finding it a tough slog with the home schooling this time!

My ds is in Y2 but I have a similar problem! I find handwriting paper helps, so it's obvious when a tall letter should reach the next line and a g should go down to the line below etc.

We also bought some grips that go on the pencil to encourage him to hold it correctly.

I find the whole thing painful! He doesn't find school work.difficult, it's just his presentation is atrocious and he really doesn't care! Or perhaps he does a bit, as his writing always gets a bit better when I praise him.

We've also found handwriting paper helps a lot - the sort with 4 lines that tells them how high to make each bit. Nagging him just seems to make him cross.

Will definitely invest in some handwriting paper too, thanks!

Definitely don't stress about - it's not a big deal especially as he's so young.
As a teacher though, kids find it hard when you say something 'letters all the same size and closer together' - sounds easy for us but so hard for them and a lot to think about at once. So we usually try 1 thing at a time for several weeks eg. Letters all sat on the line and a big well done (and bribes) and no comment on anything else - doesn't matter if the sizing is off or whatever. Once that's nailed, introduce something else really small like all tall letters should go up to 'here' using highlighter or whatever.

It will improve with time, just keep on with the fine motor skills stuff. Remember to praise the good bits “look the fat bit of your g is sitting right on the line!”! etc etc.

By the time he is 14 he will be typing everything anyway. We really should be teaching our children to touch type as well as handwriting.

@HumphreyCobblers my 8yo dd observantly exclaimed: 'you never write you only ever do emails or typing so why do we need to practise handwriting all the time!'
@Homebirthvirgin that's good advice about just focusing on one thing at a time - I hadnt thought about information overload for him!

He is way too young to be worrying about this.

Get him a pencil that is triangular shaped. Really helps with how to hold the pencil.

Sorry I wrote that quickly on my phone and just realised it doesn't actually make sense - glad you got the gist! Some kids just find handwriting reading hard (and boring) so try not to make too much a 'thing' of it. Lots of great advice on here 👍