speeding up in writing

[um]

One thing no-one has mentioned (it may not even be relevant here) is the chance that your son may have physical problems with writing.

My dd was recently diagnosed with significant hyper-mobility, particularly in her hands and fingers, and has always struggled with holding a pencil. The literacy was there, but getting it down on paper was a laborious process.

I bought her a touch typing course with Tesco vouchers, and the work she has managed to do typing on a soft keyboard has astounded me. But I still wanted her to persevere with writing and bought her a Lamy fountain pen, and asked her teacher if she could use it in all subjects. That afternoon the teacher came out to find me as she was amazed at the progress my dd had made in one day, and how much faster she had completed her work.
The Lamy pen is very smooth and free flowing and has a triangulated nib holder, making it easy to grip. My daughter explained that writing with pencils, as she was previously obliged to do, was actually very painful after about 10 minutes, and she couldn't continue as she couldn't apply the pressure needed.

Just thought I would share in case this is useful for anyone else.
My ds3 is also very hypermobile and, at 4, is able to write with berol markers that I modify with masking tape to help his grip.

[fatbananas]

Thanks Um. I asked his teacher about that but he said he thought DC was fine on that score. That said, his previous teacher used to comment on how he said his hand hurt, but she thought that was simply needing more practise. He prefers writing with a pen at home but they're not allowed those at school until their pencil handwriting is deemed of a high enough quality. Catch 22? ...

[menagerie]

Hi FB,

Not been around on the forums for ages and just seen your post.

If his ideas are convoluted, but you can help him simplify them at home, then you can give him a checklist, maybe even printed on a card, for him to take to school.

For now (Yr 3) ask for one sentence each which explains the following to the reader of the story:
1) Who the story is about. E.g. Horace lived with his pony, Tony.
2.) Where it's set. E.g. They shared a tiny cottage on the edge of a wild, dark plain.
3.) When it starts. E.g. One frosty December night Horace woke to hear Tony whinnying.
4.) What is happening (This must contain a problem or challenge for the main character, not just be interesting or weird.) E.g. Tony's hooves had started to glow and were burning smoking holes all over the bedroom floor.
5.) Why and How. Why this has happened and how the main character solves the challenge. E.g. While Horace slept, a meteor had flown in through the open window and lodged in Tony's hoof. Tony was panicking and Horace saw that soon the house would collapse if his friend didn't stop trampling red hot hooves around the floorboards.
Horace jumped out of bed and onto Tony's back, spurring him to leap through the open window into the fields below. They landed with a thud. Steam hissed up as Tony's hooves melted the thick frosted grass, but the icy meadow had soothed Tony and at last his hooves turned pale again.

Now, he can develop the story by deciding what, form the original problem can be developed. It can't be something new. It must be something linked in some way to what's gone before. Remind him to use speech to further the plot.

E.g. "If a fragment of fiery rock could come in through our window at night," said Horace. "and cause you such pain, then what do you think is happening where the main meteor has landed?"
As he said this, Tony snorted and raised his head to an eerie glow on the horizon. There was only a sliver of moon that night and it was far too early for sunrise.
"OK," said Horace, "Let's go." Together they cantered off towards the strange, new light.

Etc. Allow him to solve ONE MORE PROBLEM ONLY (so it doesn't get stuck forever) and then bring the story to a conclusion.

This is a very silly story, obviously, written off the top of my head, to show how even a weak idea can be readable if you give it structure. Each sentence contains at least one piece of information which moves the story forward in an interesting way. the story begins mid action. There's no dull preamble which can cause children to run out of steam before they start.

[fatbananas]

Wow, thanks Menagerie, that looks really useful. And I don't know about weak story line. There's something in there for boys (meteors) and girls (horses)!!

Thanks so much for taking the trouble to write all that: we shall use it this very day with his homework!!

[mystery]

Wow some fantastic advice from everyone. I think the other thing to keep in mind is that the time that he is given at school to write is maybe inadequate, and it is not a "problem" of your son's.

I am in wishful thinking mode here I am sure, but with a bit of home-school collaboration you would be able to solve it like this. Your son would start off the most fantastically ambitious story at school but not have time to get it onto paper - maybe only just has made a start. So the teacher would either make some other time available for him to carry on writing it - if he was enjoying and getting carried away with it - or send his exercise home with a flattering little note saying that your son has some fantastic ideas and can you give him some time at home to get the results down on paper.

So maybe each weekend your son has the satisfaction of completing one of these fantastic stories at home, you get to see and praise his work, his teacher gets to see what he is really capable of too. And then over time, he will speed up - because children do anyway, and particularly if handwriting is getting in the way and you can sort that, and also because he might speed up because he doesn't want to spend too much of the weekend writing. Or you might find he loves writing and spends the whole weekend writing. What you will have eliminated though is the frustration for him of never completing at school, you thinking that there is something to "correct" in him, and the feeling that you are giving him extra work at home as a consequence .......... hope that made sense.

I know I am in fantasy land. I would love this for my own children too. It has started as a problem in year 1 where they get about 15 mins to write at a cramped table with a load of chatty children, sandwiched in to a one hour lesson with a 20 minute starter and a 25 minute pudding or whatever they are called these days.

You know what, I'm going to ask for this at parents'evening . Will let you know how I get on!!

[fatbananas]

or send his exercise home with a flattering little note saying that your son has some fantastic ideas and can you give him some time at home to get the results down on paper.

Sorry, I know that's cynical laughter, and, truly, I hate cynicism, it's so deadening, but I can't help myself. I feel SO angry every morning when my DS says, as he said this morning, 'I hope there's no writing in literacy today' ... I felt so sad. He's a lovely boy; he loves words and phrases and stories and reading. But the thought of creating something himself, fills him with dread.

Following Menagerie's advice, I did write a little 'story plan' for him to take into school with him. I'll let you know how he got on with it (a) as a concept; (b) with the teacher (assuming he felt secure enough to take it out of his bag ...).

Yesterday, quickly, before lunch, we came up with a 'traditional' story plot. Tonight, we're going to write the beginning; Tuesday will be the middle, and Wednesday, the end. I'll let you know how it goes.

I'd be very interested to hear your DD's teacher's response, Mystery.

[mystery]

My turn now!! I will let you know.

I hope your plan works! The teacher has told me before now that they only have 20 mins to write something in year 1 (why???) so I am thinking that it has to be the lesson starter and the pudding that gets in the way, and that maybe they are still stuck in the national literacy hour from times past? In 20 mins my DD will have had time to sharpen her pencil, blow her nose, think up some great ideas, make a start, and then .......... the end.

One week she came home every day with this chapter book she was writing with another child and told me they had been doing it every breaktime (snow week, they weren't allowed out to play that week) - I thought wow, things have changed.

Then when I asked her why she didn't hand it in - she said it wasn't something they had been asked to do, just something she and this other girl had decided to do together. The following week there was a whole-school writing assessment morning - what did she write? About ten words in total.

Children are strange, and so are schools!