Aloha Write from the start

[Blandmum]

My copy arrived today and I see what you mean , there is a lot to photo copy!

quick question, If you have started, have you worked through sequentially, or gone for a pick and mix?

bump?

wha's going on?

shuffles off nosily

this the dyspraxia stuff mb?

Can I stick my nose in please MB - Is this a handwriting course ? I need to have a really good go with DD in trying to sort hers out and was wondering which one to try.

Yes, it is the dyspraxia stuff.

The school has also started him on it (which given they only got the details of the dx on Tuesday is quite good I think!)

It is a series of graded work sheets to help hand /eye co-odination. 400 work sheets!

Stared him with it tonight, only 10 minutes and he quite enjoyed it. I've started at the begining because I want to build up his confidence

I should have googled first then I would have know, sorry

Can I just ask though if it helps with joining up letters before I fork out for it ?

The stuff I've got is for 4-6 year olds, and also fo kids with dyspraxia and /or other SEN

Have a shufti of Amazon it is called 'Write from the Start'

oh, will have a look. dd2 pen control isnt very good, and dd1 also needs help with her writing.

Um, actually, I started, then decided to go the photocopying route, his teacher said she'd do it and, um, I think she's forgotten. I'll speak to her tommorrow and maybe we can be a Write From The Start support group?? Get my email from Jimjams or MI?

'We shall plough on together!'

Shall we do it as well as the kids???

Thank you MB.I've just seen it on Amazon but wasn't quite clear whether when they say "fluent" if they meant cursive. It sounds just what we need at the moment, the SENCO described DD as stubborn regarding her handwriting so I think it's time to give her a bit of a break and take over.

One thing that the Ed psych said about ds was that he found handwriting hard, and was beinging to draw back from trying. He has taken to rushing his writing to get it all over asap. This isn't helping him any. He never chooses to write or draw or colour. so he never get=s any practice, never gets any better and then ends up hating writing even more

So I've started this, and will do the eaier stuff to help to build up his confidence and I want to do it every week day for the same reason. I want to break the negative cyle if you like.

I know exactly what you mean. DD is extremely good at diverting attention away from the tasks that she struggles with and consequently if left to her own devices doesn't do them. She really is the queen of distraction but is now meeting her match with her SALT, OT & physio, so making some progress with a fair amount of stuff.

But her writing is really awful and following a discussion with the SENCO about gradually teaching her to type so that in middle school she can use a keyboard, I feel that we have to have a really good go at it.

In Madeleine Portwood's book, she has a bit on an exercise regime they introduced which seemed to have a positive effect on handwriting, so I thought I would look into combining the two.

When I get the books back I will start again. There is no actual writing at first, more drawing type exercises to get the fine motor control thing working well. It aims to produce easy, legible writing that can become cursive, I think.
Ds is a really good typist and I do think this is the writing of the future. I have appalling handwriting - I'm actually ashamed of it - but I rarely write anything except on a keyboard.

I've just sent away for the books and would like to join your support group .

It is going well. His writing is still pretty much illegible, but it's better, faster and ds now loves writing!

Oh wow - in a month? That's great!

Can I ask - is this course suitable if the child can only draw lines and circles and cannot follow guidelines yet? Ds (nearly 5) also avoids colouring / drawing tasks and till a few weeks ago all 'pictures' were scribbles that he narrated (could tell you what everything was). He's suddenly started to make circles for faces and lines for arms and legs and it would be great to capitalise on that with a fun way of learning to write.

The first task in book 1 is putting dots on various drawings - not colouring in, just dotting - and the next is following guidelines to draw a circle, clockwise and anti-clockwise.

I wouldn't say, in all honesty, that my DS1 is finding it fun - I've told him it will help him write more quickly (something he wants to do) and also offer the odd choc button bribe!