Help with teaching my son to write his name,?

Question

His name is Kyle. Pretty simple really and he's generally a bright kid. He can count and knows his abc etc, but do you think he can write his name?
He's 4.5 Will be 5 in April and then has to go to school. How can I get him to write his name?
He doesn't even like to try it because it's not perfect.
And as fun as we try to make it he just gets angry at himself and gives up.

Answer 1

I'm a preschool teacher and ECE graduate student. How are you son's fine motor skills? Do not pressure him. Make if fun. Write his name with a pencil on a large sheet of paper. Have him go over it with a glue stick and then sprinkle with glitter/sand. Get out the shaving cream, spread it on a table, and then have him use a finger to trace the letters in the shaving cream. Put sand or flour on a cookie sheet. Let him trace the letters in the sand. Montessori sandpaper letters are great too. Anything tactile is developmentally appropriate. If you are interested in natural toy recommendations, check out my blog:
http://www.ecochildsplay.com

Answer 2

Try to talk to you child first and explain to him that it's ok if he doesn't get his name perfect. You could also tell him about your own experiences in not getting things right the first time. This way, you will be able to level with him and he will feel that he's not alone.

A few writing exercises that I can suggest would be tracing his name several times. Don't overdo it tho as children have very short attention spans. Next day, maybe you can have him write his name on his own. Check for the letters that he gets wrong... then make a different work sheet with JUST those letters that he would get wrong. have him trace this or these letters...

Again, try not to overdo it because if you overload him with work, he may hat having to write his name. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Write his name in large letters, using the type of letters the school uses. Have kyle use a toy car to trace the letters of his name over and over, saing each letter slowly as he traces it. After he has preacticed like this for five minutes a day for a few days, give him a pencil an have him trace the letters the same way, saying the letter slowly as he traces it. Do this for a week, five minutes a day. Don't practice too long or he will get frustrated. after a week start with one letter, the first letter in his name being dots only and have him trace that for a week, then on to doing it without the dots, then do the next letter like that, and so on, until he has all his letters in his name. Don't be critical of his efforts, give lots of praise on his prgress and show his progress to him from the first letter he makes to the the better ones he makes later.
good luck to you and your little boy.

Answer 4

Part of that is just his age. They are learning to be separate and independent from their parents, and they want to be the best they can be because it makes them and you proud. Get some craft or drawing paper and print his name in big, block letters. Then show him how you (yes, you) can trace over the letters to practice writing them so they can be "perfect". After tracing over the letters several times in a row, print his name again next to or below the first. Get blocks, letters from magazine titles, print some out from your computer -- anything to spell his name and show him that writing comes in lots of different styles and they're all perfect in their own way. Practice with him often without being too pushy about it. It'll come. :)

Answer 5

Not too early if HE is interested in learning to write his name. However, there are things that should happen first. Pencil grasp will develop naturally for most children. I wouldn't try to change that. He should recognize his name in print. If he doesn't, then that's where you should start. Most preschools find it helpful if a child can recognize his own name. Label things that belong to him at home. Buy him toys and things that have his name on them. Put his name on his door with some fun letters. Talk to him about the letters in his name. Make up a silly song to a familiar tune about his name (something like "J-O-H-N-N-Y spells Johnny") Encourage him to do other things that require a pencil grasp, like drawing, scribbling, painting. Give him many opportunities to use pencils, markers, coloring pencils, etc. When he does art work at home, always ask if he wants to put his name on by himself. Praise him if he even attempts it or even puts one or two letters that come close to looking like they should. You can write his name and ask him if he would like to try, too.

Answer 6

Write his name in pencil than have him go over it in pen & again with a highlighter, after a week or so make him write the K & continue with him tracing the other letters each week add a new letter, I found with my daughter little by little worked best. Good Luck!

Answer 7

Buy him fun things with his name on it. Even something simple like a pencil that says "Kyle" on it. Then have him copy it from that.

Tracing it is a good first step. He will learn, don't worry too much.

I was babysitting a little boy once who wanted me to teach him to write his name, but like your son, got frustrated right away and wouldn't do it. So I made him a connect-the-dots (remember those things, dots with numbers beside them that you attach and they make a picture?) Well he knew his numbers and what they looked like up to 10, so I made that, and he did it without even realizing he was spelling his name.

Answer 8

I think that the first thing you should know is that every kid is different and they all learn at a different pace. Maybe he's not prepared yet. But if you want him to practice before going to school, just make him draw lines, straight lines and curve lines. Draw them on a piece of paper and have him trace them. That will help him develop his fine motor skills. When you see he can really draw the lines by himself without tracing them, make him trace his own name.
Remember not to push him too hard, it might frustrate him. Just let him go by his own pace.

Answer 9

use dried pasta -- he can spell his name with that

let him write it in wet sand

write it very big (kids love writing things big!) on a huge piece of paper and have him walk through the letters

write it for him and have him run his finger over the letters and then a pencil

write it for him ten times on a sheet of paper -- but -- spell it wrong 3 times...see if he can find the "wrong" kyles!

oh...and relax....trust me...kyle will definitely know how to spell his name on his first job application -- relax...it will come....by staying calm and having fun he won't get angry and give up....

:)

Answer 10

write his name in dots and have him trace it. After he gets the hang of it, remove the dots of letters that he can write until he can write his whole name or start with the easy letters like the l then y, K, e.