Writing

[MuffyTheVampyreLayer]

Does anyone have any creative ideas on how I could get my Sons writing to improve? He is left handed, and he is learning to write very, very slowly. He is smart, he reads very well and has a great grasp on math for his age, but his writing is holding him back - The other little monsters at school have started to tease him about his writing. I talked to him about it, and he was more than happy to agree for us to spend an extra half hour at home each night working on his writing - problem is, short of writing stuff for him to copy, I can't really think of any ways to help him out.

Any suggestions?

[Torque]

Have you guys tried turning the paper at an angle? I'm a lefty, and i always end up with the paper at at least 30 degrees from vertical. My writing adjusted to the angle and is straight, but very messy anyway :)

I dont know what 6 or 7 year old kids write about. Can they do simple letters to relatives or anything?

[SimpleSimon]

Muffy, I was left handed. At age twelve I got the distinct non-pleasure of learning how to write all over again, with the loss of my left hand.

I know what worked for me, finally. I set myself the task of copying, by hand, a book I liked. I started out printing, because my one rule for this was it must be legible for a harsh critic, my paternal grandmother, to whom I mailed 5 pages per day.

She red penciled my efforts, and mailed them back. I studied her critique, and adjusted things as needed. By the time I completed the task, I was writing it in cursive, and rarely got a page back with any red lines.

She was a good choice, as she herself wrote in perfect copperplate style cursive.

[MAC]

are you saying he doesn't write well or neat?

my dad is left handed
he was basically instructed (in school and the army) to move his hand around to where his hand writing leans like righthanded ppls

but MY writing...is ungodly, disgustingly illegible

seriously, I was encouraged to NOT write in cursive because it simply cannot be read and to this day I cannot write in cursive. I couldn't do the alphabet in cursive if I had to (except my signature)

but if he simply is having trouble making the letters I encourage you to simply give him more books to read (I know you do that now but the more he reads the better he will understand his language and recognize its forms)

so,

neat hand writing = loser
reading = the only way to learn to communicate
muffy = good mommy

you do the math

[Asmodeus]

I'm in a similar situation but just a bit difernt. I have a class of 10 year old who all have lived in the states for several years. They know English. I am teaching them writing.

I shucked the book I was using- it is worthless. I have been giving them pictures to write about. Don't worry about the length, I want detail and grammatically correct.

Also, if you spelled what exactly yer son's prob with writing is, we or I might be able to help a little better.

As for position of paper as you write- don't look at me. I'm a righty but when I write the paper is almost completly slanted to the left, durn near 90 degrees. Just how it is comfortable for me to write.

Give me some specifics and I'll see what I can do for idears.

[PB]

Make some kind of game out of it... you know as well as I do, that children love praise. On the other hand of that they also do better when something they want or like is taken .. so if you are like me, and I think you are.. you would much rather praise than punish!

let me know if you need any help finding different kinds of Phonics art that will help him write better, quicker, and more clearly..


PB

[MuffyTheVampyreLayer]

Thanks for the ideas guys. I went shopping and brought some really cool activity books that make writing fun and have lots of stickers and stuff in them... he whined a bit when I made him sit down and do it, but he got over it :)

As for specifics... well, most he's just really slow and quite messy. *I* think (and I'm no specialist) that the majority of his problems stem from that evil teacher that I made cry - she was really mean to him about his writing and now he seems to have confidence issues. If what he writes dosn't look like what he is copying (which it dosn't as he's only young) he gets very frustrated, cries, and it takes him about an hour to copy out a few lines.

Sometimes he writes letters backward, but his reading is good, so I'm not too worried about that, I think it's just mistakes rather than indicitive of a perception problem... I'll keep an eye on it though.

[Asmodeus]

If he reads good it's not dislexia- which runs in my family.

I agree, seems to be a confidence issue. Phonics games, practice and a mommy's love are what's needed. When he writes something just say that that badteacher couldn't write that good, etc... yadda.

[morgana]

<font color="lime">if the problem is just sloppy handwriting issues, you need to be teaching him art, not writing.

he needs to learn how to look at something and be able to copy it with his hand. that's an artistic skill. sit down with him every day and draw pictures. start out simple- get some peanuts comics, or dilbert- stuff with simple line designs. then move on to whatever interests him- cars, baseball, video games. you can get some good still life sketch books from the library that have opening chapters explaining how to instruct yourself to see and draw at the same time.

good luck.</font>

[Koliedrus]

geh. A pen in my hand yields indecipherable squiggles so I'm no help here.

Get back to me when he starts typing.

No shit, alert me before he registers. I'll wear the 'net equivalent of a tie.

I can print real good :)

[Venus]

I dunno about that Morgana. I have no artistic skill whatsoever. Draw something? Not if you want to know what it is without asking me. But I can write very well if I take the time to do so. It's a matter of hurrying, or taking your time. If he takes his time to make the letters the way they should be, his writing will improve.
Muffy, you don't have to write things for him to copy. Give him his favorite book (like Simon said) and have him write it down. Then, have him write a sequal to it for someone else to read.

[MAC]

fine, you asked for it....

[Asmodeus]

Ummm, let's have a vote. All those in favor of keeping writing utensils AWAY from MAC raise yer hand.

You know what is weird- I have seen some of MAC's art work, the bugger can draw like you wouldn't believe...

Ahh the mysteries of the world.

[Lady Sianna]

for some reason, it popped into my head that you could have him create a short "story" or just draw something from his imagination that he could then write down on paper. perhaps the fact that it was something that he made up on his own might encourage him when it comes to actually writing it down.

emphasize that every single person on the planet has a different and unique style of handwriting and that he will surely follow suit and develop a style of his very own. it will just take time and practice. and be sure to tell him that anyone who makes fun of him for something as insignificant as handwriting could certainly not find anything more relevant to make fun of him about and were therefore simply exercising (sp? wee bit intoxicated) :) some insecurity or another that in essence had nothing whatsoever to do with him, but with an inadequacy in the antagonist. so there. :D

[MuffyTheVampyreLayer]

Originally posted by theMAC

neat hand writing = loser
reading = the only way to learn to communicate
muffy = good mommy

you do the math

I must admit your (and some other posts) had me a little bit bewildered as to what the point was that you were trying to make :) Reading Saurons thread just got me thinking however... I think you think I don't want him to be a bad writer, well - of course I don't. However, the reason I'm trying to get him to be a better writer is because he wants to be one, and he is not happy with his writing at present. When it comes down to it, I'm not bothered about the bad writing, per se, but rather how he feels. I think what he needs is just a big dose of self esteem. Hmmm. Maybe I'll show him your appaling chicken scrawls and we can laugh at you together :p

Perhaps I should have been asking how do I make my son feel better about himself, no? (And yes, I do tell him that it dosn't matter, and also give him lots of praise and encouragement)