I've seen posts that indicate that my 8 year old son isn't the only child who dislikes writing. I've found that this has a major impact on his ability to get his work done and I now understand the battle with his teacher last year. I know he still needs to write, but I'm trying to decrease the amount of writing he needs to do and focus more on what he's learning. He loves science but wasn't enjoying it because I tried to do notebooking and lapbooking with him. Both required him to write what he knows. Today I had him tell me what he learned and I wrote it in his notebook for him. Then I did some lapbooks and had him tell me the answers that he needed for each section while I typed them (I've let him type some too). I printed them out and let him cut them out and glue them in the proper place. He showed me that he did learn a lot and seemed to enjoy the lesson much more. Instead of making him do a front/back page of handwriting, I have him do half of page in his very best writing. He still has to do lots of writing with our Sequential Spelling lesson and I think I'll continue that because I'm right there with him encouraging him to keep working. However, he has phonics and grammar books that he should be able to do on his own, but they take FOREVER because he doesn't want to write the answers. If I ask him verbally he shows he understands. Any ideas on how I can make more adjustments? I want him to learn and not waste so much time fighting the writing.
Is it the actual writing--- as in handwriting--- or is it the process of putting together ideas? My kids both hate writing--- as in handwriting--- but I can get them to type stuff out. I've been having them learn typing using the BBC Typemat to help facilitate that.
I have a reluctant writer too. Some things we do is typing rather than writing by hand, dry erase board instead of pencil and paper, oral tests instead of writing the answers, etc About the only things I make him write any more is for handwriting (he ASKED to learn cursive this year) and ironically enough, he doesn't complain about notebooking for science LOL He LOVES LOVES LOVES science, so I think that's WHY he doesn't complain about it much. We have cut back to just 1-2 worksheets a day for reading/LA. Very little actual writing...Like I said, if we can do it orally and he knows it, I don't see the point of making him cry just to WRITE the answer. He's a lot happier, so so am I.
My boy is almost 7 and he doesn't like to write either. I have looked specifically for ciric that doesn't make him write to much. We use First language lessons, because all the lessons are oral for first grade, with a few optional copy work added in. We do speed drills in math orally as well. I have him do copy work (where he traces a worksheet that I made up for him) once or twice a week. And he writes his missed spelling words a few times on a dry erase board. We do all other spelling orally. When I was trying to place him in the spelling lessons. I would read off the words and he would spell them back to me while he was doing hand stands or jumping jacks. (it about drove me crazy but he spelled all but 10 of the first grade words right)
I also use curr that has little writing. Even with spelling, we'll use a dry erase board so he (or I) only have to write the part of the word that changes. I realize the book says not to do that, but I have a strong speller. If your son isn't very good at spelling, I agree that you should continue having him write the words. We use R&S for English and do it orally. We use Miquon for math which is rods and workbooks, so he figures out the answers and then he (or I) will write the answer without having to work out a bunch of problems. At some point, he'll HAVE to start writing out his math, etc., but he's not ready. Part of it is age, part of it is that he's a typical little boy, and part of it is his delayed motor skills. I still encourage him to write when we have short assignments, but other than HWT, I do most of the writing. On longer HWT assignments, he complains that his hand hurts. I know that's his lack of muscle control/endurance talking, because he loves HWT from a mental standpoint. When it comes to motor skills, I have to push a little bit because his therapist tells me to. When it comes to assignments other than handwriting, I back off and let him do them orally. (He's not able to type yet, either.)
I just posted this on another thread, but I wrote about this is for a small homeschooling magazine, and reposted it on my blog: familyd.50megs.com it's under "More articles and info" I think, and it's about dysgraphia, especially in boys.
I went through this with my 9 year old...for years he was always in tears while struggling to put answers down on paper (struggled with the physical aspect of putting pencil to paper). I finally started writing his answers for him, as he quoted them to me, until he became proficient at typing. Last year he switched to doing almost everything on the computer himself. No more endless worksheets with fill in the blanks or writing out sentences for all his spelling words. I can't tell you what a difference this has made. No more tears at all...he actually enjoys his work now and finishes it so much faster than before. He uses a word document and types the answers to whatever he is working on. I also let him play around with changing things like color and font...he thinks that is cool and makes it more fun. He still uses the pencil on a few things from time to time. Math is harder to do on the computer, so much of it is still done on paper...of course he is always trying to solve all the problems in his head without writing them down. However, the majority of his work is typing on the computer. Bottom line...the pencil was really hindering his learning...now he is a much happier, successful learner.
I think this is what my DS2 is experiencing. I have already been through a learning disability with DS1. He had Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome. It has more to do with reading. But he also had problems with his writing and complained about his hand hurting. I think I will mention this to him as well. Thank you.
This is such a BOY thing!!!! LOL I think ALL boys hate to physically write things out!!!! I have the same struggles with my son. It does get better, so just keep at it!!!
I'm so happy to hear that so many other boys have difficulty with the physical act of writing. At least it's not just my son being, well, difficult. He's doing his handwriting right now and he's not doing it happily. Sometimes I'll have it planned and we just skip it to avoid the battle, but today we've done lots of extra reading and I'm holding out on science (his favorite) until he does a little bit of handwriting practice.
