I have a 1st grade, Spanish/English speaking student struggling with writing.?

Question

He is struggling with writing on his own. His English is pretty good. He is a average first grade reader and he does really well in Math. He has the ideas to write but really struggles with putting sounds to letters. Any ideas to help him become a better writer?

Answer 1

You could try the Kindersite as a motivating and engaging tool. This site has been recommended a few times in Answers and I think it is a great resource.

Answer 2

You can do some interactive writing with him. Try having him tell you what he wants to write about. Once he's done that, you have context. Then draw lines on the paper using a pen for the words he wants to use. That gives him (and you!) some structure.

After you've drawn the lines, invite him to tell you how the first word begins and have him write as much as he can. You write in the letters/words he can't spell or look up using the pen. You do have a word wall or student made dictionaries in your classroom?

If you save his writing over time you can see if he's made progress based on the amount of scaffolding you've given him so you can determine if this is really a learning issue, if it's developmental, or if it's a language issue.

Answer 3

I would be more worried about his reading, but if that is fine and it is just writing, you shouldknow that it is not uncommon, especially in boys, to have poor fine motor skills at this age and have an especially difficult time writing. There are a lot of things you can do to have him practice them in fun ways such as writing in shaving cream on the table, stringing bead, or building with small Legos. Don't worry if he misspells a lot at this age either. It is more important that he get his ideas down. Many children start by mixing pictures with words as well.

Answer 4

Dawn has some good ideas and remember that skill in writing lags behind skill in reading...decoding is easier than encoding so be sure to give support but at the same time hold the child responsible for what he has shown you he can do.

Answer 5

Sounds tremendous. although, I do question if all ESL scholars make to fifth grade with the flexibility to communicate, examine, and write in English. if it is the case, your college is doing an fantastic job, yet I have seen a concepts too many colleges the position which couldn't the case. BTW. The commencement fee of your district isn't so tremendous.

Answer 6

You should have the school provide him with an aid. If not, then maybe you should give him extra homework for practice and even give him homework on the weekends.

Answer 7

Short poems first
3 rows max

Then when he is confident in his ability
add more rows in assignment