Grandson's handwriting

yes, thanks. Here is another one :

well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/06/20/why-handwriting-is-still-essential-in-the-keyboard-age/

Does not help lucyin thesky and her grandson, though. I would ask for a meeting with teacher to discuss how, as a team, school, parents + grandparents- you could help him improve and help with confidence too. My grandson is left-handed and not a neat writer, but it does not seem to bother him.

If that fails, and you can afford it- perhaps ask a local tutor to help for a few weeks and get him some specific excercises?

Something like this Jura2?

www.educationnews.org/technology/research-handwriting-spurs-brain-activity-typing-doesnt/

DD has said she will talk to his teacher about it this week.

He is a very active little boy - loves footie (thanks to me lol) trampolining, climbing walls with his Dad no problems with balance. Jenga is a good idea, thanks trisher

Can't find it right now- but I saw a report on cognitive research last year that said that as kids type more than they handwrite, it is having a real effect on brain development. If anyone can link to that, that would be great.

Talk to him about the word ‘Stupid’ explaining that it’s not a very nice word to call anyone but that it is sometimes said if an action carried out was dangerous or nasty or deliberate etc.
ie. People aren’t Stupid , but sometimes they behave in a ( daft, silly way which can also be called stupid) best wishes

It may be dyspraxia. But he's right about typing. Teach him keyboard skills and let him use a computer sometimes so that he can write freely without feeling the extra stress. My DS was given a laptop at about 10 because his writing was terrible and it was restricting his creative work.
Don't just concentrate on his writing though. Improve his gross motor skills by teaching him to ride a bike, kick a football, balance and climb. Improve his fine motor skills by letting him paint and draw freely and play games like Jenga.
And it's true lots of adults have awful writing!

His parents need to find out what scheme they teach at his school; (it should be cursive but this can be difficult to master;) ask his teacher for advice on how he can improve, and for simple writing patterns to practise to improve his motor control.
Check on his pencil grip and posture as he writes; make sure he is sitting properly with feet on the floor and back against his chair, which will guard against back problems in later life.

Is he also a bit clumsy and poorly co-ordinated? In which case he may be dyspraxic. It is a problem on the learning curve of dyslexia, dyscalcula etc. DS and I both have it. Therapy varies. We had it about thirty years ago when the recognition of this problem was new and had specialised physiotherapyexercises, which helped - a bit ours and his salvation will be keyboards. See if you can get him some typing classes so that he can awe other children with his mastery of touch typing.

I know the problems, in the Vi Form, teachers were still constantly making me try different writing instruments and styles to try and improve my writing without avail. I hand wrote exams at O level, A level, and university and my poor writing never held me back.

So tell him, not to worry, lots of other people have the problem and got on in life and once he is 11 and goes to secondary school, he will never have to write another piece of school work. In the meanwhile, let him take his time and make sure the teacher isn't over preassurising him.

Unlike his mum he is right handed

Thanks everyone - I'm not sure where the 'stupid' has come from but I think he may be a perfectionist like my SiL and thinks something he can't do means he is stupid. I know his parents would never say anything like this to him.

My grandson was the same at that age. I tried to help with exercise sheets but he never seemed to improve. Then suddenly at 10 he started bringing home his school books with really neat handwriting in them - I honestly thought it was another child's writing at first. But it is his - suddenly his writing has changed for the better. Maybe it's to do with the size of their hands - I don't know but it can improve, as I've found out.

The cheering thing about this is that it is very common, and handwriting has absolutely nothing to do with intelligence. Some of the brightest people I know have dreadful writing.

In my experience boys and men have more trouble with writing than girls do - though I do remember struggling myself when I was six or seven.

Is he left handed? Our six year old GS is, and his handwriting is a real struggle, I think it just takes some children longer than others.

What is worrying is why he is calling himself 'stupid', where would he get that idea? I'd try and find out where that came from if I were one of his parents.

As a grandparent, you can buy him books with handwriting exercises in, and take him shopping to choose choose fancy pencils and pens, but only to make it fun, don't let him see you are worried. He will get there!

Tell him there are many brilliant people in the world whose handwriting is dreadful and different people have different skills.
Tell him now is one of the best times to have bad handwriting as there are so many other ways of communicating now by texting, voice recognition, keyboard.
Teach him to type. My Autistic DGS had dreadful writing. Took him so long to write a word the rest of the class had packed up and gone home. He can type over 30 wpm. Took time but may be worth investigating if his writing is really bad. What do the school say?
Tell him he can’t be stupid if he has a granny who loves him so much. ?

My Eldest is 16 and tells me his awful handwriting doesn't matter because he types more than writes , I know he is wrong ! but I am trying with the 8yrold to get her to do "pretty" writing .
In the dark ages when i was at school we practised and practised , hands cramped , tongue out , and we did get better .
You know , I think the first thing is to get him to relax about it ! Make sure he is holding the pencil correctly and comfortably , and keep reassuring him that it will come , tell him to think of it as drawing and painting words