end of YR1 writing - what's "normal" and what's not???

[toccatanfudge]

Got DS2's school report today - all very positive (as I expected ........actually I see his teacher regularly when I go in for assemblies so she keeps me uptodate lol)

Anyhow, there's on bit in there that I'm a little concerned about, but it's Friday - so I can't ask her about it until Monday.....

"his handwriting is improving and although some of his letters are reversed and many are not correctly formed, they are legible"

Writing has been his weakest thing since he started school.

Is it still normal for them to be getting their letters reversed and not forming them correctly at the end of YR1?

The other thing is he's VERY slow at his written work, like it's a bloody great effort for him (anything that's doesn't involve actual writing he whizzes through).

Don't worry, really normal.

Funnily enough when I taught in the UK children reversed letters all the time, but now I teach in Spain they don't. At first I was really confused, but the Spanish department teach them Spanish cursive script from day one, we wonder if that is the difference as the letters look so different from each other.

Ha my ds is 5 and also end of year 1. Reading and maths above national expectations writing in line with and as his teacher put it his handwriting is even more abysmal now he's atempting to join up . I am dyslexic but school assure me they have no concerns over ds dispite dest score of 0.6 in year r. Think its just poor motor skills and teacher agrees as she says his catching and throwing are developing but at parents evening I laughed about it and she says he does catch ball sometimes - by fluke!!!!

He also until about 2 weeks ago had no interest in writing but can google anything on the computer so the skills are there just the actual pen to paper process isn't.

He is also slow and laborious and reverses letters.

I wouldn't worry about it now but maybe in year 2 parnets evening ask if theres improvement and if not ask about early intervention.

I've read - and re-read that list - (and googled a bit) and have come to the conclusion that my children are just odd

according to those lists my DS1 shouldn't be so hot at writing, and DS2 should be finding it much easier that he does

I talk to her on Monday, tbh I'm not sure it's so much that's been "allowed" to learn the wrong way.......that he's a stubborn little bligheter who does things the way he wants and believes he's never wrong

This is my >> 5th consecutive year having a child at the school and I've never had any concerns over the teaching - particulary the teacher he's had this year - who DS1 also had in YR1 - and who turned my "just below average" DS1 at the start of YR1 into a "above average" in most subjects by the end of the year

good luck

thanks - you're probably all right and it's nothing to be concerned about.

I just had a minor panic about it last night

I had similar panic before reports as my ds - despite good behaviour normally - is a little bugger at school. Despite this he is 'above average' in maths and reading and made 'good progress' in all areas of the curriculum. I think sometimes we just have to accept they are the way they are - even tho I dislike his behaviour at school I also think the school should have done something postive now such as a good behaviour chart. Not sure it helped when HT admitted that unfortunatly ds does get into trouble when perhaps not deliberatly being naughty because his general behaviour is not that good