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SN children

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

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Original poster

My mind is in overdrive

7 replies

5inthebed · 21/07/2010 21:48

Bit of a self indulgent thread, please feel free to ignore.

Todays started crap. DS1 + DS2 writting in cards for their teachers. I know DS2 can't write, but I know he has been earning so I asked him to write his name in his teachers card. He held the pencil like a knife and just drew circular shapes

Then he came hom with a bagful of stuff h had been doing at school. One was a book that has "handwritting" on the front of it. there were three photocopied pags stuck in dated September 2009 and nothing from that. it is as if they gave up on him the first month he started Rception

Big questions for his teacjer regarding it tomorrow, I don't know if I can take another year of him in MS school

OP posts:

hanaka88 · 21/07/2010 22:15

ask the teacher about it...handwriting books may be a bit of a waste for him if his fine motor skills are poor. They may have been doing more 'big writing' with him e.g. writing in sand or on big pieces of paper instead of forcing him to do something he isn't capable of.

Definitely check though, and if they haven't been doing anything at all, suggest this.

How old is he?

Original poster

5inthebed · 21/07/2010 22:22

He is only 4 Hanaka, in reception, so it isn't really a big deal.

He does have dyspraxia and his fine motor skills are quite poor.

I just feel that they because the book only has three sheets in it from the first month he was in reception, that they gave up on him.

I'm asking tomorrow as I do want to know.

OP posts:

Al1son · 21/07/2010 22:22

It would definitely be more appropriate to work with him on his control of big movements first. They could have been:

Getting him to draw in sand, mud, chalk on the playground, finger paints,...

Throwing balls, swirling ribbons, pouring water, using playdough,...

These would allow him to develop the fine and gross motor skills he needs in place before he starts to refine them in order to form letter shapes.

The most important thing is that he feels successful in what he does and is ready to write before he is asked to.

Original poster

5inthebed · 21/07/2010 22:25

Thanks aAlison, I'll ask about that tomorrow.

I feel like such a failure with him, maybe I should have taken a more active role in his schooling. I've more or less buried m head in the sand and let the school get on with it

Like I said, self indulgent thread.

OP posts:

Al1son · 21/07/2010 22:38

Funnily enough I had similar emotions this evening when I looked through DD2's school books and realised how little she has been writing at school. I have raised concerns about Asperger's Syndrome with the school this term which may be the cause for her lack of concentration but I feel very very bad about her obvious concentration problems. I'm sure they're down to not coping in a busy crowded classroom but I'm feeling very guilty that I didn't know how bad it was before today. I was much more on the ball when DD1 was in Year 2 and struggling but I've just left DD2 to get on with it this year.

Let's be self-indulgent together

IndigoBell · 21/07/2010 22:52

You're not a failure! You care deeply and are providing a lovely stable environment for him.

We had an appt with someone from the ASD team yesterday and she was absolutely fantastic. But one of the major things I took away was (the obvious) - don't sweat the small stuff.

I was obsessing over every bith of DS's schooling. But I need to learn to let go and let school do what they need to do - and I need to just conecntrate on the big stuff with him. In my case that is anxiety. DS is not going to get anywhere at school till his anxiety levels are more managed. So it's no use me obsessing over his school report and his academic progress...

However, I will add, that we have just moved school and this new school is fantastic. I would not be able to 'let go' at his last school......

So anyway. Choose ONE thing which is your biggest concern, and just focus on that, and let everything else go..... (I keep reminding myself)

SE13Mummy · 21/07/2010 23:39

If it's any consolation, one of the classes I teach (MS primary) has piles of exercise books with only one or two pages that have been used. It's not because they haven't done work related to the subject they were intended for but because the teacher had a change of heart and decided she didn't want 7-year-olds to formally record X, Y or Z.

You may find that other children have brought home mostly empty books too! My Reception-aged DD has brought home one piece of writing; 5 lines about going away at half-term. No workbooks, no loose sheets of paper, nothing of 'traditional' academic appearance but that's partly because that's how Early Years teachers are expected to work. Hopefully you'll go to school and find everyone took empty books home because the teacher realised that 4-year-olds have better things to do with their time that limit their development to handwriting worksheets.

Hopefully.

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