How old would you say this child was based on handwriting?

[SevenSistersStar]

To make it clear, this is my child. He wrote this spontaneously at home, I just found it. School work and homework tends to be a bit better but with all the same issues coming up. I'm meeting his teacher later today. Thanks.

I was going to guess year 2 before I saw your reply OP, so I don't think he's doing too bad. Meeting the teacher to discuss will hopefully help reassure you and come up with some plans. My DC have all developed their writing and spelling at different rates, and it's great that you're "on it" in terms of checking in with school etc

@CallMeDean

I'd be asking the teacher why the school aren't teaching correct letter formation.... every letter is formed incorrectly. That isn't your child's fault, that should have been taught over and over and corrected in reception.

Mine were. I still correct her and so do the school, but she prefers to form them incorrectly. I show her the correct way and she will just say "but I do mine this way". The kicker? Often she can form the letter the correct way, she just prefers doing it her own way! I know they are taught properly at the school and we always had the Ruth Miskin sheets for at home also.

Mine is left-handed though and I'm unsure if that makes a difference.

My leftie will also form their letters differently

@CallMeDean I agree lefties are different but if letters are formed incorrectly then it's very difficult to write in cursive

difficult to write in cursive

Unrelated, but I've heard that in some U.S.A schools, they don't teach cursive anymore. Many people are saying it's not needed nowadays.

Personally, I find writing in cursive easier than print, but I don't think it's that bad if a child can't write in cursive. As long as you can read what they are saying, I wouldn't get worked up about it.

My child does know how to form them "correctly" (Is it really correct or just the preferred way? Is there a "correct" way to write or is the point of writing to simply be understood?), but it's harder for her due to being left-handed. I'm sure when they begin learning cursive, she'll notice it's harder for her due to her way of forming, and it will probably help her start forming the letters the preferred way.

Hand-writing isn't a signifier of intelligence or ability to create, learn, explore, engage etc. My brother is very adept at maths, finance, and business, but he's a leftie and his handwriting is terrible to this day. I just can't see it as a massive problem in their education.

I know you didn't say the above, I'm just going on...

It looks similar to my daughter. She is 9, in Y4, and dyslexic, possibly dyspraxic too. She is also left handed.

Look up dysgraphia; my DC is incredibly articulate and can read well (although not overly interested in doing so), but despite working v hard on handwriting, is dreadful at spelling. She was diagnosed with dysgraphia and it was such a relief.

It'll be down to him being left handed - my dd is a leftie and she struggles with writing. She often writes her numbers back to front and her letters are a bit all over the shop but she can spell everything perfectly, she's 7. It's naturally more difficult to write for a left handed child.

@The2Omicronnies

Look up dysgraphia; my DC is incredibly articulate and can read well (although not overly interested in doing so), but despite working v hard on handwriting, is dreadful at spelling. She was diagnosed with dysgraphia and it was such a relief.

Thanks everyone. Yes I've wondered about dysgraphia. How do you get an assessment?

@Russell19

I'd be asking the teacher why the school aren't teaching correct letter formation.... every letter is formed incorrectly. That isn't your child's fault, that should have been taught over and over and corrected in reception.

I agree.

She often writes her numbers back to front

My leftie does this too. She is a great reader (although not a huge interest in reading, but will do it, can do it, and loves being read to while following along) and is articulate, it's just her writing that is an "issue".

@SevenSistersStar

Thanks everyone. He's in Year 3. We've known for a while his writing is not at the expected standard but I couldn't figure out quite where he was at. I know comparison is the thief of joy but I do find it helpful to talk in specifics. (When I had PND and was on ADs the doctor still wouldn't use the term postnatal depression, or even depression, it drove me mad.) He gets handwriting sheets for homework which are to practice cursive handwriting, but really he still needs to be practising the basic letter formation, so I find that frustrating. Dyslexia has been ruled out. I'm meeting his teacher and SENCO this afternoon. This has been really useful, thanks.

@SevenSistersStar I think it looks great, and I think what he's written is adorable

I guessed 8 before reading your posts. I see some elements of good pen control in there.
DS2 had poor pencil grip. He got those knobbly pen/ pencil holders which helped a bit.
School did a physical programme with him called Big Moves- (fun) strengthening exercises for gross motor skills- competence in gross motor skills is required for fine motor skills of writing.
He's 14 now. His writing isn't neat but as long as it's legible, they're less obsessed with it at secondary school.

5?

OP, we looked up a local specialist; I initially searched for a dyslexia assessor as I hadn’t heard of dysgraphia, but this was her finding.

I am interested to read that dyslexia has been ruled out. Year 3 makes him about 8 years old? Who ruled dyslexia out as a possibility? Left handedness is often a trait. The b and d reversal is common in children up to about 8 but is a strong indicator in older children.

Year 1

Thanks everyone. Dyslexia has been ruled out by the school and I do believe them. He reads very well - above expected level, we are told. Anyway, I met with the class teacher and SENCO yesterday and they are going to do some handwriting interventions with him and some of the other children who struggle with writing, and they are using different ways for him to get ideas down rather than straightforward narrative writing which he might find easier, eg comic strips, flowcharts. The teacher says she also scribes for him sometimes to help him get ideas down. I'm fairly happy with that. I always struggle to know how hard to push on these things though!

@The2Omicronnies

OP, we looked up a local specialist; I initially searched for a dyslexia assessor as I hadn’t heard of dysgraphia, but this was her finding.

Thanks, I'll have a bit of a google and see what I can find.

My dyslexic ds reads very well and always has. He uses context and whole word recognition. He just can't retain the spelling of words.

Year 1