DS hates to write-- any advice?

[Little Nyssa]

Hi! DS is doing 1st grade work but hates writing. He is perfectly competent at it: can write all the letters, lower/uppercase, neatly and with spaces, etc. But he balks at doing it, which makes all our efforts to do narration pages, notebook pages, and copywork very frustrating. He will literally leave the table 10 times, and be called back to start again, before completing a 5 word sentence.

It's not that he dislikes the content: this happens even with content he loves, like planets. I tried choosing sentences from his favorite fun reading but same problem.

I have looked into HWT but he already knows how to do everything in the 1st and 2nd grade books, and it seems that he last thing he needs is repetition. We looked at the books at the store today.

Do I need to make a special effort to make it more fun? Do we need to start writing with chocolate syrup or something??? :)

Or should I just back off on it for a while?

If a child is already competent at writing, does he really need to practice all the time?

Thanks in advance for all your help!!

[siloam]

Drop it till he masters the skills needed to do it easily. They need to know how to write (he has that one), form correct sentences in their mind (questionable), hold that sentence in their mind while writing it out (questionable), and spell well without thinking over many of the words (questionable) before they can do what we traditionally call writing. 1st grade students just don't have those down.

 

BTW my oldest did nothing in 1st and 2nd. Did lapbooks for 3rd and part of 4th, then started CW Aesop. She has already written several books in her own time, not part of hs. I think she is a good writer, but the important part here is that she likes it and didn't write at all in the early years.

 

Now that WWE is out I use that, but I don't start it till later, 2nd grade at the earliest. BTW, as a frame of reference, WWE doesn't have a student bring all those together to do the type of writing you are trying to have your ds do till 4th grade.

 

Heather

[Spy Car]

If it helps, my son (who has pretty neat writing) does not exactly love writing either. I'd say it ranks dead-last in terms of things he would like to do. It think it is the age.

 

Bill

[NotDaMama]

If it helps, my son (who has pretty neat writing) does not exactly love writing either. I'd say it ranks dead-last in terms of things he would like to do. It think it is the age.

 

Bill

 

:iagree:It seems like many children do not like to write, especially boys. However, learning any challenging skill can be hard, and it is good to look for the difference between "challenging" and "Totally frustrated". There have been many posts like this in the past, if you search for (quote)hates writing(close quote) you will find previous posts and answers.

[Spy Car]

:iagree:It seems like many children do not like to write, especially boys. However, learning any challenging skill can be hard, and it is good to look for the difference between "challenging" and "Totally frustrated". There have been many posts like this in the past, if you search for (quote)hates writing(close quote) you will find previous posts and answers.

 

Oh yea, he still has to do it. If nothing else his school sees to that. Last night it was two long pages describing the flavor, sounds, sights and smells of a candy-bar of his invention.

 

These are the homework assignments I try to palm off on the boy's mother.

 

Honey, your son needs help with his homework :D

 

Bill

[coffeegal]

Do I need to make a special effort to make it more fun? Do we need to start writing with chocolate syrup or something??? :)

Or should I just back off on it for a while?

If a child is already competent at writing, does he really need to practice all the time?

Thanks in advance for all your help!!

 

Unfortunately, yes. Handwriting also involves muscles that need to be developed or you'll have a horrid time writing when he gets older. If you don't do the handwriting, the strength never magically develops. The expectation for writing does increase between 1st grade and 5th grade. It's hard to teach a middle schooler to write when their hand hurts after a few sentences.

 

Do make a special effort to make it fun, and remember that drawing and coloring use the same muscles, so encourage those also. My suggestion is to cut back the sentences to 1-2 words plus a picture. ;) Increase the length of the words used before moving up to 3 small words. My goal is for my children to be able to copy 3-4 sentences at a stretch in 1st grade with the end goal being that the child can write 1 page easily in the 5th grade. :001_smile:

[NotDaMama]

:iagree:It seems like many children do not like to write, especially boys. However, learning any challenging skill can be hard, and it is good to look for the difference between "challenging" and "Totally frustrated". There have been many posts like this in the past, if you search for (quote)hates writing(close quote) you will find previous posts and answers.

 

I meant "hates writing", with the quotes. Sorry about the computer geek speak.

[Spy Car]

Unfortunately, yes. Handwriting also involves muscles that need to be developed or you'll have a horrid time writing when he gets older. If you don't do the handwriting, the strength never magically develops. The expectation for writing does increase between 1st grade and 5th grade. It's hard to teach a middle schooler to write when their hand hurts after a few sentences.

 

Do make a special effort to make it fun, and remember that drawing and coloring use the same muscles, so encourage those also. My suggestion is to cut back the sentences to 1-2 words plus a picture. ;) Increase the length of the words used before moving up to 3 small words. My goal is for my children to be able to copy 3-4 sentences at a stretch in 1st grade with the end goal being that the child can write 1 page easily in the 5th grade. :001_smile:

 

:iagree: You are right.

 

I remember how last year our Kindergarten teacher had them coloring constantly with colored pencils. I (who did not know better on this one) made a few comments to my wife to my wife about our son going to "coloring school."

 

But wow, did those kids learn to write well. He still might "love" doing it, but he can (and does) write beautifully. I learned something.

 

Bill

[Guest Alte Veste Academy]

Do make a special effort to make it fun, and remember that drawing and coloring use the same muscles, so encourage those also. My suggestion is to cut back the sentences to 1-2 words plus a picture. ;) Increase the length of the words used before moving up to 3 small words.

 

:iagree:

 

DS7 is in second grade this year and last year he very much disliked the physical act of writing. I still had him do it, just less than typical to start. He gradually increased his abilities. When he wanted to write stories (as in creative stuff) to go along with his pictures, I would type that out for him so that the lack of physical ability didn't impede his creative writing ability.

 

We took a big break this summer, during which he spent a great deal of time drawing. The difference in his writing stamina this year is nothing short of incredible. He can write pages upon pages! He writes books, complete with author pages, illustrations, etc. He writes notes and has his owl puppet deliver them (ala Harry Potter). He seems to be writing all day. Now, when we do WWE, he doesn't want to write for pages and pages, but there are no complaints for the sentences I do have him write. :D

 

Oh, and last year, he responded very well to a timer. Ordinarily, I would think that was awful but it was a relief to him for me to say, "OK, as neatly as possible, write as much of that sentence as you can in the next two minutes."

 

Slow and steady wins the race!

[kathkath]

This is what we've been doing with my 6yo dd and she loves it.

http://www.amazon.com/Great-Source-Writing-Spot-Revision/dp/0669530042/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1286501648&sr=8-7

 

it's very inspiring to get them thinking about the sorts of things writers do. With my guidance she has made her own "writing spot" that is stocked with various paper types and materials, and she loves it. She is not as keen on sitting down to do writing I tell her to do, but this is good motivation to get started on her own terms, and I'm ok with that :)

 

THis book is not a curriculum but a springboard, and well-followed by this

http://www.amazon.com/Great-Source-Write-One-Handbook/dp/0669530069/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1286501759&sr=1-1

which is chock full of good stuff about how to write etc.

[gardenmom5]

I have so been there . . . .:tongue_smilie:

 

For years, my now ds18 yo could have a screaming fit for HOURS because he hated to write, not that he couldn't. I now understand he has sensory issues, and his balkiness was entirely a sensory thing. The sensory input of sitting at a table, with paper and pencil, was really uncomfortable for him. I'm wary I will be having a similar experience with ds 5 as he also has sensory issues for which he is in OT. So far, I don't make him write if he doesn't want to - he can dictate, and I'll write. He does not like to make the letters the standard way, and gets angry if I try to "make him". He has to answer the questions. I have him doing pre-writing skills, where he's doing lots of tracing.

 

DS18 knew how to write letters, he just didn't want to.

 

some suggestions;

go with the developmental level - let him dictate a sentence that you write. When I did this, it went from hours of screaming hysterics, to a writing assignment finished in five minutes.:) If it is spelling words, he can still dictate how it is to be spelled, where punctuation goes, etc.

 

let him type his writing assignments. (works better for older kids.)

 

eventually, his development will catch up, and he'll be more comfortable with the physical act of writing.

 

Cheers,

Kristen

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

If it helps, my son (who has pretty neat writing) does not exactly love writing either. I'd say it ranks dead-last in terms of things he would like to do. It think it is the age.

 

Bill

 

:iagree: I would find creative ways to do less writing such as doing things orally. I would also try a chalkboard and white board with colored chalk and markers. I would also try crayons and use copywork that interests little boys instead of copywork that we think they should do:) I learned this the hard way. I learned to have him write about science that interests him such as the planets or slimy things;) I also saw that with age he no longer hates writing and is willing to do it:) A couple of years makes a big difference:)

[ABQmom]

My son hates to write, my girls love to write. It's a maturity thing. Girls develop those fine motor skills earlier. I did not require much writing from my son at all in the first four grades. We did much of it orally. He wrote some, colored some, etc to build his fine motor skills. I was careful not to push too hard. This year, he is in fifth grade, and he writes! He writes many times without me asking him to. I still have to push at times because he gets lazy about it. SWB's audios helped my tremendously with him. I think the writing without fear CD was the one I listened to when he was small. It was very encouraging and helped me to know how much to push and when to back off.

[johnandtinagilbert]

Oh yea, he still has to do it. If nothing else his school sees to that. Last night it was two long pages describing the flavor, sounds, sights and smells of a candy-bar of his invention.

 

These are the homework assignments I try to palm off on the boy's mother.

 

Honey, your son needs help with his homework :D

 

Bill

:lol:

 

I'd switch to dry erase board, using syrup, sand, etc. Give him a deadline. You may do this this month, but next month, you'll be required to write 1 sentence per week. Then bump up the requirements. My #2 son HATED writing and cried and cried and cried. I told him what the future would bring and I stuck to it, he does just fine.

 

FWIW, he's a gifted writer and he prefers typing!

 

Our school doesn't require neat and consistent writing until sometime in 2nd grade. The plan is, 'Until your handwriting is neat and consistent, you cannot learn cursive." Works every.time.

[Spy Car]

:lol:

 

I'd switch to dry erase board, using syrup, sand, etc. Give him a deadline. You may do this this month, but next month, you'll be required to write 1 sentence per week. Then bump up the requirements. My #2 son HATED writing and cried and cried and cried. I told him what the future would bring and I stuck to it, he does just fine.

 

FWIW, he's a gifted writer and he prefers typing!

 

Our school doesn't require neat and consistent writing until sometime in 2nd grade. The plan is, 'Until your handwriting is neat and consistent, you cannot learn cursive." Works every.time.

 

We had another writing assignment homework last night. A Pen-pal letter to a boy at another school. It went very well (his mother tells me ;) :D).

 

Bill