Any primary school teachers around to answer this?

Question

My 10 year old son is considered "able" at school yet has the worst handwriting imaginable (think 5 year old). He's part of a special handwriting group, but it doesn't seem to help.

The other day he was assessed to see whether he may have some form of dyslexia that's causing this, but doesn't appear to.

Does anyone know if there are any other explanations I can look into. It's holding him back considerably.

Also, the assessment sheet had these details:

Non-verbal reasoning 75th%ile, BPVS - standardised score 89%ile, rank 24, AE 7.5.

Can you decipher this for me?

Many thanks

Scooty - yes, and we've checked (and double checked) that he isn't left-handed etc. Seems to be no obvious explanation.

Daryavus - I appreciate the sentiment, but where on earth did you get that idea? He's actually considered one of the brightest children in the year, in the top streams for everything. This is why we're a bit stumped on his handwriting. I asked for the assessment myself - and there has been no suggestion that he may be "learning disabled".

Snooksville - thanks!

RM - LOL - I've always said just the same thing, "well, he'll make a good doctor, anyway"!!

Answer 1

It's tricky. Some of my cleverest children have poor handwriting and I just think they'll be doctors!

Joking aside is he sitting correctly? Does he have his elbows on the table?
We use Nelson handwriting at our school, he could maybe practise copying passages.

Alternatively you can get nelson handwriting on your computer (word) and then print out, he can copy over it.

Alternatively, just don't worry and hope it will sort out. Could he be doing it on purpose due to all the attention he's getting? And what is it holding him back from?

Good luck.

Also, what about this? http://www.thekidswindow.co.uk/Selling.asp?product=1119&cms=70
or something similar.

Could be something to do with poor fine/gross motor skills? Does he show any of these symptoms, which he is disguising well because he is so bright?

http://www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/services/ad_symptoms.php

Answer 2

The explanation for the assessment is as follows:

on the NVR test, he came out on the 75th percentile line - i.e. 25 kids in every hundred will do the same or better, 75 kids in every 100 will do worse.

Standardised for age (usually it's for age reasons - is he born towards the end of the school year?), this goes up to the 89th percentile line, where only 11 kids in every hundred will do the same or better than him and 89 will do worse. So yes, he is definitely an able child.

He doesn't sound at all dyslexic (not that I personally believe this "condition" exists anyway - it usually means the child has missed or not understood a key learning stage at some point) so please don't let the teachers go down that road.

The handwriting lessons should help him improve his written work in time, but only if this is a daily exercise, reinforced positively at all times.

Keeping him off the computer and encouraging him to use a proper pen - a fountain pen is good because children like the novelty - will also help.

Answer 3

Though I don't have an exact answer for this, I can say that I was pretty much the same in that I was considered fairly bright, but had terrible handwriting.

As I got older, my handwriting got a bit better by itself but of all the various types of handwriting practice I did, the only one that worked was practising single and joined letters with an ink dipping pen, since the friction made me write slowly and concentrate not to put too much ink on the sheet.

As for an explanation, it's just guessing but have you seen if his hand-eye coordination is okay? Or if he needs glasses to see clearly? Or if there's anything physically wrong with his hand?

Check that he's using a correct grip on his pen while writing too (holding with the right fingers, resting against the right part of the hand) and make sure it's not a gel pen, since those slip and are quite thick in placing ink.

Answer 4

I had similar problems in my youth. My writing was like a spider walking across the page. Although it was never proven it may well have had something to do with not getting glasses I needed until I was over 7, hence I never developed the knack of writing as a child because I had no interest in anything I couldn't see properly. Just a thought.
I too was in the top 2 in the class most of my school career, (until I discovered girls) but as bright as I was my handwriting never improved. I always felt that it was the most tedious part of learning and so I tended to rush my writing, and I still do to this day to the point where I can't read back my own notes. I think bright children do this as it doesn't stimulate them. My son is the same. If he takes his time it is beautiful writing but left alone he will rush his way through writing and it is illegible

Answer 5

My nine-year old son is exactly the same - he is very bright, has very high scores in all the tests, copes well in school, is generally happy and well adjusted, but his handwriting is ABOMINABLE!!!

I don't make a big deal of it, when he was a toddler, he displayed a definite left-handedness, and started writing with his left hand (by choice), but I would notice in the first couple of years of school that he would struggle a bit, go to change to the right hand, then change back again to the left hand. I never commented on it - I figured he would choose the hand that would suit him best, but I find myself wondering now if he was in fact meant to have been right handed for writing, while left handed for other tasks...

I have seen some improvement over the past year, but it's still pretty awful.

I'm encouraging lots of precision hand work in other areas to try to fine tune the small hand muscles, as his hand-eye coordination is excellent, and his general motor and balance abilities are beyond brilliant, (ie treeclimbing, skateboarding and now heelies).

I suggest you do the same, I think it's slowly working. Also, if his general motor skills are in any way clumsy, look into developing these also, with skill based physical activities.

I think in time your son will improve, otherwise, steer him into medicine!!! Good luck!

Answer 6

This sounds a lot like mw at school.

At 32 I was diagnosed as dyslexic, but I also needed glasses as a child and later developed arthritis in most jints including my hands.

I spent lunchtimes at high school doing handwriting practice for 3 years - it didn't improve.

On thing I do remember from school is that it was considered important that handwriting was neat, personally I think it is important to be legible.

The reason I was not diagnosed with dyslexic was because I could read. I can't offer any advice other than to not make him feel like a failure because of his writing. It may or may not improve. Once he gets to university - yes i know it's a long way off - typing will be more important - and who knows what technology there will be in the future.

snooksvil - it's teachers like you who made me feel inadequate, stupid and totally eroded my self respect. Dyslexia, or at least the way a dyslexic's mind works can be seen on an MRI scan, but of course that doesn't mean you have o believe it.

Answer 7

'My youngest had(and still has )appalling handwritng.Little tiny scruffy letters all sloping backwards.He was a very cleaver kid but a bit weird.He wrote in tiny letters because that was how books were written ,or so he said.I think because his brain worked quicker than his hand he just could not keep up.At ten it does not seem as important to be neat and tidy.He is of course getting lots of attention due to this.Try not to be too obvious but get him playing games which involve writing as practise is what he needs.Make a game of it or it will become a big issue and then you are lost.
Incidentally despite his terrible writting my son has done well----but of course we all use one of these nowadays dont we?
I do not know what the strange hieroglyphics are and suggest you make a teachers appointment to discuss them.Try not to worry I am sure with time and patience and such a caring mother he will get on.

Answer 8

From what I've seen boys tend to be a lot worse than girls with their handwriting, so there's part of the explanation. Also, I find I scrawl sometimes because what's in my head is coming that quick I have to write quickly before it gets muddled. I've been known to write withe instead of with the on regular occasions because I get ahead of myself.

My advice is just to get him to practice a lot and make sure he takes his time. Make it fun though perhaps get him to write stories and then write them up in the neatest handwriting he can.

Also, you could try a few different pens/pencils maybe a really chunky bodied one or one with a rubber grip.

Answer 9

Don't worry about his handwriting. I used to have the most appaling scrawl when in primary school and was even seated next to a 'neat' girl to help me improve. It didn't, until I got older. At 5, as long as he's doing well in his assessments, which he appears to be doing(!), I wouldn't stress too much. I think teachers of boys at this age expect too much of them - show me a man who can write neatly. He will improve in his own time to tell the teacher to back off and stop worrying you.

Answer 10

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