I have to admit that I haven't pushed very hard with his writing because he hates it so much and I don't like the fighting between us....so that being said....do any of you have a trick to get your kids to like writing?? I have just started introducing cursive and he seems to be liking that better than printing. He told me that his brain always gets the letters mixed up and that is why he hates to write. He is really really slow when he writes...even when he writes his own name it is painfully slow. I need him to be able to write stories and stuff without hating it and be able to do it at a normal pace. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
which son is this? 6 or 9? I would suggest fine motor skill toys myself but if thats not an option don't stress just make him work on it more. Do coloring dot to dot etc.
I have a daughter like that. She's 10 and still has a hard time making her letters the right size. I know that in time her handwriting will improve. In Florida, we have to keep a portfolio of a few samples of their work throughout the year for a teacher to evaluate in a yearly review. So, the way I get her to practice good handwriting is I'll say, "This is an assignment we'll want to save for your teacher, so be sure to make this paper very neat". That way it's not really a handwriting assignment, but a math lesson where she's practicing writing very neatly. She still doesn't like it, but she does a much better job than if I had just asked her to do a handwriting assignment. Maybe you could say... "This is an assignment I want to show your dad, so make sure it's very neat!". Choose one assignment a day, short ones in the beginning, that he can show off to his dad at the end of the week. The great thing about homeschooling is you can let your kids go at their pace. He will eventually get to a point where writing his name is not a big deal. Just be patient and let him do assignments orally or allow him to type them whenever possible.
One thing we did that both my kids [who are 7 & 8 and HATE writing anything by hand] liked was write a [very] short story. After they wrote it, I typed it up for them and added clip art to go with their story. They really loved having a book that they wrote that looked professionally illustrated. LOL You might let him write silly short poems and then offer to put them together to make a little book for someone in the family [grandparents/father's day]. Let him write about something that he likes. For example, my son wrote about ninjas because that's what he was into at the time we did the writing. It helped that we did it in small spurts as well. They were happier with the idea when they just had to write a little at a time and could write more if they wanted to.
It is a common boy thing for them not to like writing. To get Garrett to write anything down it's like pulling teeth and it comes out so sloppy that usually he has to read it to me. I have decided I may only require writing for Language Arts type subjects and for science and social studies he can draw me very very detailed pictures explaining what he learned. He does enjoy to draw. What I require him to write I think will really be typed and not written on paper with a pencil.
Would a pencil grip make the pencil more comfortable in his hand? I know my son greally grips the pencil hard sometimes and that will make a difference in his writing and makes his hand hurt very quickly.
Now, are you talking about handwriting itself, or actual "creative" writing? For handwriting, we're using workbooks and I set the timer to try to make him quicker (he wastes time, just goofing off and procrastinating). The timer has consequences, like having to finish work during play time. But it could also have rewards I guess, like earning more free time or something similar. As for actual creative writing, I have noticed that I can tell my son to write a sentence and it's like pulling teeth. However, if it's related to something he likes on his own (for a game or something related to playing) then he can write all day. I encourage him to write about whatever he wants for now (writing menus for them to play restaurant, writing I'm sorry cards to his sister, writing game instructions) and he usually does it happily. I also let him write in a journal about once a week or so, and I don't correct it for now, just let him do free writing as he wants. I figure that in the next year we'll be able to move on to more structured writing.
This my 9yo ds. I am mostly talking about any writing at all. He throws a fit when I ask him to put his name on his paper and it takes him nearly a full minute to write it. I know he can write because when he gets really mad at me he will go to his room and write me notes that tell me he is running away but that he loves me. Yesterday I asked him to write a short (and I mean 3 sentences short) paper on anything he wanted. He was so excited when we started school yesterday but as soon as I told him we were going to write he became grumpy and whinny and wouldn't do it. So I asked him if I set a timer if it would help and he screamed at me that timers make him angry. So I told him I wouldn't set a timer, but that I needed him to write the paper before lunch, which gave him nearly an hour and a half. He finally wrote 1 sentence but he was so angry the rest of the day that we couldn't do any other school work. This morning I told him that we needed to finish the paper and he yelled at me and walked away. He won't even respond to me when I talk to him about anything...even calling him to breakfast. On a side note...I started teaching him cursive....he seemed to really like it and wanted to start writing...but as soon as I showed him the lower case and asked him to practice the letters A B and C he said they were too hard and he wasn't going to learn the lower case. He said he will write if I allow him to write every letter in uppercase cursive. I told him I dont' care if he does but now I am worried that he will never be able to write correctly in cursive if I continue to allow him to do that.
It sounds like he's more opposed to writing with his hands than writing as in a tool to communicate. Does he know how to type? Will he write something for you using the computer? Writing using the hand is something I just don't plan to make a battleground with my two since you don't really use it much in the real world. Things are moving ever more increasingly to electronic. I didn't even fill out medical paperwork in print at one doctor's office; they asked me the questions and typed them into a small hand-held device. Workplaces typically use e-mail, text, and computer files. They won't use it much in college, either, as professors want typed papers, not handwritten. I want them to know how to do basic handwriting, but for longer writing projects like journals, papers, etc., they'll use the computer.
I let my 10yo type or do orally almost everything. Really. We have a handwriting curric, and occasionally I have him do it. It takes him forever, and is more of a pain than it's worth IMHO. The kid will learn to write eventually, at least well enough to fill out a form. What else do we write for these days anyway? Every now and then he gets a bug in his pants and writes out something weird, like all the stats for the planets on Star Wars or all of the options on his GI Joe trading card game. Bah, whatever - he writes occasionally. I don't think it's worth putting handwriting on top of some other subject, like creative writing or spelling. Handwriting is its own subject, and we work on it specifically for joy or for a need, and don't worry about or mess with it otherwise.
Most boys don't like writing/handwriting. I have 3 boys and this has been true for them. Have you ever read any books by the Moores? Their books may seem out of date, but I think they have some great things to say - especially regarding boys and writing. I would recommend that you go to the library and see if they have "The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook" by Raymond and Dorothy Moore. I read it years ago but I still remember what they said about younger boys and writing -- they suggest that a boy should only have *short* lessons in writing/handwriting each day - I think only 5-10 minutes. We have used the Italics handwriting books. My older boys have gotten lots of compliments on their handwriting. I like the "look" of Italics and it seems easier than cursive. He may not be ready for cursive or Italics either one right now.......if they are both frustrating to him, you could let him continue printing and try one of those next school year. I believe that handwriting is important and you should do a little bit each day but I do agree with the other moms that our society is really becoming almost completely electronic. We use the Typing Instructor Deluxe CD to teach typing. (there are also some free sites online that teach typing) I think 9 years old is not too young to start learning to type - as long as it is not frustrating to him. (there are games included too, which makes it fun) He could learn some basic handwriting but after he learns to type, he may prefer that. Then for creative writing assignments, he could easily type them on the computer. For now, if you want him to do some creative writing, he could tell you a story orally and you type it into the computer or write it on paper for him. That way he won't get so frustrated. He has the ideas in his head; it is just hard to get them on paper. I have found that it is also a maturity issue with boys. When he is older - say 14, 15, 16 - he WILL write. It is something he will probably outgrow. But even if he doesn't, as long as he knows some basic handwriting, he will be okay because he can type everything on the computer. I know how hard it is to get boys to write - hope this helps!
first...read a book by Mel Levine called "the myth of laziness" It sounds to me like he is being more than stubborn and whiny. It sounds like a defense mechanism. (does he throw fits like this usually or is writing his special demon?) I have two boys who hate writing and we have used different techniques for each boy. The oldest whom I brought to hs in 6th grade, spent a year pretty much not doing any creative writing at all, and learning how to type. He is now a fairly good typist and is much more willing to write creatively or reports. He doesn't like it. But he is more willing. The younger is in 4th grade and this is his first year hs. We have done cursive as he likes the esthetics of it. So that addresses (sort of) the mechanics of writing. Typing or cursive. and if he wants to do just capitals...for a while I would let him do that. Maybe show him some illuminated texts and let him really go to town with capitals. (we just did illuminated letters that they worked on while I read aloud) But for creative writing and for reports...I am letting both of them, to differing degrees, dictate thier ideas to me. I write them down...word for word. Then we go over them for grammar and form and then they "write" the final copy. (Jazz types and Dutch in cursive) I of course require more content from Jazz. (7th grade) I think in the future I may have Jasper dictate his own work...I think his typing program has a recorder in it. then I will point out he is one step from just typing while he is thinking. I am going to start Dutch with typing next year. I am not worried right now about thier "learning to write" or having to do it someday so making them do it now. If they get comfortable with getting thier ideas communicated, they will be able to write them as they mature. I have seen such progress with Jazz that I am able to relax. So much of his abilities seem to just come with maturation as opposed to what I (or anyone else) has tried to beat into him.
It's not so much his handwriting that I am worried about he can write the letters neatly...It's the fact that he won't write anything...not creative writing, not even copying poems or scripture verses. He just won't write. Period. He only throws fits with this particular subject...he is fine with everything else. I haven't yet put him on a computer so he can type because he has such an addiction to the computer...does't matter what he is doing on it...when I do let him on it I try not to let him on very long because he ends up having an attitude problem for 2 days after he gets off. I would prefer to avoid puttinghim on the computer....but is my withholding it causing him to be more addicted and possesive of it??
My DS is a bad writer too. To solve this he learned to type! He write some assignments, some are oral but most are typed. He hates printing and cursive. He can do it but he can be very mesy with it.
