My son is in Year 1 and is the slowest person in class when writing - any tips - he is not dyslexic.?

Question

He can read quite well and teacher thinks he knows what to do, just doesn't do it. He never finishes his lunch off because time runs out (other children do) so is not eating all day. I think he daydreams a lot and this might be the problem, but has anyone got any ideas. He eats and sleeps well and everything else seems 'normal'.

Answer 1

He has better things to do!!!

I do not mean that to sound as sarcastic as it does - sorry!

My nephew eats v-e-r-y slowly. What my sister does is make sure he has a good breakfast - even though he has to get up earlier to eat it. She ensures he has a piece of fruit or a biscuit for break time and that he has as much time as he needs to eat his tea in the evening. That way, at least she knows he is eating properly!

With regard to his writing, do not worry! It could be that he is thinking about what to write or concentrating too hard about forming the letters properly. He will get it right eventually. It could be that he has pride in getting things perfect, which is why he is so slow. You do not say if you and your son like his teacher. Is s/he encouraging your son? or is he in trouble because he is writing things slowly?

Of course, it could always be that he does not like writing and does not seem the point of it! In which case, you can help him by letting him write the shopping list so things are not forgotten. Could he write to his grandmother about something good that happened at school? Then she could ring him to discuss it with him. That way, he will learn there is a reason for being able to write!!!
You do not mention if the teacher is concerned, or whether it is you? What does s/he say you could do - or indeed what s/he is doing about it?

Just give him time - and a lot of patience from you when helping him with his homework!

Good luck and try to relax - being a parent is a lifetime of headaches after deciding you did not have one!
(and I have an ADHD son aged 14 and a daughter aged 8 who goes round in a world of her own - she would forget her head if it was not attached properly - and has been known to check it is still there!)

Answer 2

As a teacher it is hard to get a child referred into the special education for something like dyslexia at age five. However, a parent can go to the school and request testing. The fact that you have been diagnosed with dyscalcula may strengthen your case. Start talking with his teacher and saving (dated) writing samples whenever possible. When he eventually gets evaluated you need to be prepared! Good luck to you and your son! Also, I do not think that it is too young to tell in some cases. As a kindergarten teacher I know that lots of students have a hard time getting adjusted to writing and flip or reverse letters. However, some students have very severe difficulties and if both you and your son's teacher notice it then you need to go ahead and refer him now. I am currently going through the same thing with a 5 year old in my class. (I would say 50 % of my students will write a q for a p and a p for a q, but this child has SEVERE issues.) Mothers know best!

Answer 3

Well my daughter is also in first grade she doesnt eat well and she doesnt sleep well but she does exceed in school she reads on a 4th grade level and does well in math and is being accepted for a good workers award this month maybe its time to sit down with the teacher i had a confrence with the teacher and then came back and sat my daughter down and told her what her teachers said and how she can inprove herself and she took everything i said into consideration and has been doing so much better anyways every child develops differently im sure there is something your son is really really good at and other things that are gonna take time and practice and that is with every child and if you think hes daydreaming he may have add or something so maybe a trip to see the doctor may be a good idea as well good luck

Answer 4

Hi
Was just wondering if you have hade had your son assesed by an educational pyschologist, and not just a senco who sometimes does a dyslexic test.

The only reason I ask is that my son was tested while in school and the senco said he had some of the signs of dyslexia , but not all of them so could not be classed as dyslexic.As my other sons had similar problems I knew this was not right.The school where happy with this so I had to write to the education depratment for him to be assesed by an eduactional pyscologist.

He was finally tested thouroughly by this person and he has got dyslexia,dysparaxia, and specific learning difficulties.

My sons reading is also quite good , but has major problems with his writing it takes him ages to complete work.As he finds it such hard work he is very slow and starts daydreaming.He told me he looks out of the window , plays with the velcro on his shoes .This gets on his nerves because he knows the work , but just canot get it down quick enough.

Did you know what you are describing sound very similar to my son and he has been formely diagnosed.
Dyslexia is not just about reading abilities it covers so much more eg organisational skills, handwriting, spelling, fine and gross motor skills.

My son is extremely bright but just cannot be bothered with the writing side of things, as he finds this side of things hard work and daydreaming is an escape route.

There are many famous people who have find out hey are dyslexic, and I have read many of their books and all say they also where daydreamers for the same exact reason, it was so hard to do the writing,they got bored ,frustrated , so looking out the window was the next best way to avoid doing this task.

If you haven't already had an ed pychologist look at him I would push for this as you are entitled to ask .

You son sounds really bright and normal whatever normal is, he just needs to get the help that he deserves.

Keep fighting as you are the only one who can do this for him.

Answer 5

My son is just the very same! He is now in P3, never finishes lunch! Always bringing home extra bits of homework for writing as he never got it finished in class.

When he was in P1, everything with him was very slow, but it has all started to come together. His writing is no longer like a spider crawled over the page and he is showing great aptitude towards maths (unlike me).

He would have sat in the classroom and jumped up every time a tractor drove past the window, "It might have been daddy!!"

There is now an awful pressure on children (and parents) to conform and be up to certain levels at school. I think it is time we let children be children again. My 7 year old is now in the middle of class exams!! I don't remember exams at that age. It is just not fair. Let children be children.

Answer 6

My son is exactly the same he,s 5.
He comes home and everyday i say have you eaten all your lunch and he tells me he did,nt have enough time.

I have him on packed lunches now as before he was,nt eatng any of his school dinner hardly and lost nearly half a stone. Now he,ll eat all his sandwiches and his yoghurt but leaves the crisps and the fruit because he says he does,nt have time to eat them. But he always eats them when he gets home from school.

I think the reason he does,nt have time to eat all his lunch is because he,s too busy messing about. He is quite a giddy boy and is clumsy too. He,s the same with meals at home i,ll give him his tea and it takes him over an hour to eat it.

So i would,nt worry at all. As for the writing some kids are slower than others. Some children in my little boys class can write better than me, others can,t even do a letter yet some are just slower than others.

Answer 7

Could be ADD, I was like that and thats what I had. I grew out of it or learned how to deal with it in my preteen years. If he is like me then the worst is yet to come because I took forever to get hw done after school, it frustrated me so much. All I remember of it now is not understanding it for hours. It was so hard to concentrate in class, I had a lot of teachers that would lecture for 30-40 minutes at a time. You might consider home schooling for a few years if thats an option, just so you guys can go at your own pace. I agree with staying away from meds. You can't avoid the problem, you have to learn to work with it. I didn't notice much of a difference with taking meds for ADD and I was taken to a specialist.

Answer 8

he is failing to find interest that's all and so enduring school rather than embracing it . what is he interested in ? say for example he likes spaceships or cars , find a book on the subject and give him some snippets of info to awake his curiosity IE it takes so long to fly to the moon or such and such is the worlds fastest car , make a point of reading it from a book in front of him and when he asks how long it takes to fly to mars or which is the second fastest car say you don't know but the answer to every question can be found in a book , maybe we'll look tomorrow .

hopefully he will come to regard reading (and so writing) as a worth while hobby because it allows him to tell his friends impressive facts about dinosaurs ,space ,cars , even spider man or whatever it is that boys like nowadays .

Answer 9

If your child resists using the potty chair or toilet or isn't acquiring the hang of it? If you are sick of dirty diapers? If you exhausted from little accidents? Then understand how to very best train your child with this plan https://tr.im/xENzs
Designed to support any individual with a young toddler and essentially aid the toddler also, this system is manufactured for patient readers who want to see their youngster excel, and for individuals who have a powerful and loving bond with their kid. If you are rapid to temper, or don’t feel that you have time to dedicate three days to potty training, then you will possibly not be suited to this! By following Carol’s guidance, you could have your child potty qualified in a long weekend.
Order Start Potty Training so that you can appreciate the benefits of having a totally potty qualified and independent kid inside just a few days.

Answer 10

He may have mild ADD my son has it and we first noticed it when he couldn't keep up with the rest of the class in 1st grade. It is a hard road. After much research we choose not to medicate him- he is now in 5th grade but he still stuuggles to keep up and get things done but you just will need to help him get organized and think of ideas to help him stay on task.Medication is overused and could lead to death because of heart problems in some cases so be careful of doctors that just want to give you a perscription. Good luck