Thanks everyone I will try out some of the tips mentioned :thumbup:

Just checked it out it's really cool thank you

thanks for your encouraging words exactly what I needed :thumbup1: you are also right that comparing your children doesn't make me feel any better. The opposite.

I watched the video: "Susan Wise Bauer explains "Writing With Ease"" sounds really good I think I will give it a try when he is ready. Just not sure if I need sth. else until he gets there.

Thanks everyone. Is it necessary to use a writing program like the one mentioned "handwriting without tears"? Are there any other you would recommend? I don't know its' just so frustrating when you do the same thing for such a long time and he seems to not make that much progress. I am thinking I am doing sth. wrong. He is not good in reading either even though we finished the Reading Bear program:( I feel like I am failing in teaching him the most basic (easy) things (reading/writing). I am doubting if I will be capable of teaching him all the other stuff that is to come which is far more complex. A little encouraging words would be most welcome. Otherwise I might end up giving homeschooling up all together. If he is behind school children and even behind other homeschoolers then it pains me to say that it looks like I am failing.

I am aiming to do copy work soon but no idea how to get there.

lol handwriting without tears with us at the moment it's completely the opposite. It's handwriting WITH tears. He is 5 turning 6 in May and still cannot write words and sometimes even letters without "dotted lines". The words are basically pre printed and all he needs to do is follow these lines. We are doing this for almost a year now about 3-4 times a week one page but it's not getting any better. When I ask him to write without these pre printed lines he cannot or doesn't want to produce anything close to the letter or word he is supposed to write. He is learning how to write in two very different languages though. English and Arabic. You write Arabic from right to left unlike English left to right. I am not sure what the problem is. I am not using any writing program.

Hi everyone, I wanted to know from your experience, when is the best time (age) to start teaching my child how to write? In school they start quite early. With around 6 years the kids here in UAE do A LOT of writing practice. What is your opinion on this?

I was hoping someone could recommend a program which he or she has used and can recommend based on experience. I tried couple but they were not really good.

No one here knows a free map creator?? :confused1:

Hi everyone, could someone recommend a good "map creator"? I mean an online program where you can create your own map of the world and put your own pictures in (which you have saved on your computer for example)? Would be nice if you could put also cities, rivers, lakes, mountains in.

Yes that actually confirms what I thought that this is too early and the solution to the problem of PISA and other studies cannot be that we do more of that what school does and even earlier but to change the approach.

Could you recommend a good copywork creator? I found couple but they seem not to work:(

Thanks:) looks interesting will read it

In the UK First Grade starts with age 5. Here in Dubai with age 6 but we are following the British Curriculum. I compared my kids with the kids of my friends who go to school here and are sitting in First grade for 8 or 9 hours and do all the time writing (English and Arabic, Maths, Science, Computing etc.) but they are much more STRESSED than my kids for sure. And they act out their feelings much more. Their behavior is really difficult. According to Dr Laura Markham normal because she says that kids "act out their emotions which they cannot express verbally". You seem to be the only one who understands what I am talking about:( I am not taking my "ideas" only from her but she is referring to really good scientific studies and recently discovered facts about human Psyche. Her tips are working otherwise I would not practice them. Unfortunately my kids don't play often together in a way which gets them to giggle or laugh (which would release stress hormones and of course does not need to be in a dangerous way) and I don't know how to encourage them so I end up making them giggle and laugh which I find exhausting and I am not always in the mood. You are right. We are not always perfect and of course we yell sometimes and loose patience. Nevertheless it was very good to read how others are doing it and it encouraged me to relax a bit with "schoolwork".