Improve writing and increase reading

Useful tips and ideas for the 11 Plus

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Angrymilkshake
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Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2023 1:30 pm

Improve writing and increase reading

Post by Angrymilkshake »

Hi all,

I've applied for my DS at Tiffin, KGS, KCS, and Hampton, with his 11+ exams this autumn/winter. He has been at Explore Learning since last September, and has some tutoring on Sunday for entrance exams.

The issue I am having with my son is that his writing is atrocious. He simply will not obey the rule that we write letters from top to bottom and left to right. He also refuses to read outside of Tom Gates and those rubbish Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. Any advice on how to get a child to fix up their writing and to actually try reading other books? And also, any tips on any good books?
Aethel
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Joined: Sun Dec 20, 2015 6:24 pm

Re: Improve writing and increase reading

Post by Aethel »

have you considered he may be dyslexic? if he is and it’s not identified it may make it tricky for him to pass 11 plus exams (especially where there are handwritten essay questions as some of the independent schools require)
Tinkers
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Location: Reading

Re: Improve writing and increase reading

Post by Tinkers »

Reading is reading. You may not like what he is reading, but he will move on. Encourage him to read. Full stop. Trying to get him to read books you think he should read may well turn him off reading altogether. National Literacy Trust has a research report on this but I’ll have to go looking for it.

DD used to read the rainbow magic books and I hated them but she loved them and it fostered a deep love of reading that she still has. She ended up doing A level Eng Lit, which for the DD of 2 semi literate, dyslexic engineers is quite something. ( and it turns out she’s also dyslexic too. )

Possibly reading books to him/reading together/audio books may help, and may have the added benefit of you discussing it and making sure he actually understands.

As for his writing, is it legible and can he write at a decent speed? If so then trying to change it at this stage maybe counterproductive and of no real benefit. If not then he may need some professional help (maybe an occupational therapist?).
Tinkers
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Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Re: Improve writing and increase reading

Post by Tinkers »

Cross post with Aethel.


Dyslexia and/or Dyspraxia may be an explanation and often missed or dismissed in brighter children
Angrymilkshake
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Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2023 1:30 pm

Re: Improve writing and increase reading

Post by Angrymilkshake »

Tinkers wrote: Sat Jul 01, 2023 6:59 pm Reading is reading. You may not like what he is reading, but he will move on. Encourage him to read. Full stop. Trying to get him to read books you think he should read may well turn him off reading altogether. National Literacy Trust has a research report on this but I’ll have to go looking for it.

DD used to read the rainbow magic books and I hated them but she loved them and it fostered a deep love of reading that she still has. She ended up doing A level Eng Lit, which for the DD of 2 semi literate, dyslexic engineers is quite something. ( and it turns out she’s also dyslexic too. )

Possibly reading books to him/reading together/audio books may help, and may have the added benefit of you discussing it and making sure he actually understands.

As for his writing, is it legible and can he write at a decent speed? If so then trying to change it at this stage maybe counterproductive and of no real benefit. If not then he may need some professional help (maybe an occupational therapist?).
Thanks for the helpful reply.

He is going to be assessed this summer for potentially ADHD by Middlesex CAMHS as his school suggested that. He doesn't have the symptoms of dyslexia as far as writing and he reading goes. His spelling is good and he can read and write at decent speeds, the problem is that because he tries to write in a "quicker" way that disobeys the kind of "stroke order" his writing looks clumsy albeit legible.
With reading particular books, my concern is that he is Americanising his English and by not reading widely he is stunting his vocabulary. Plus I just really hate those books...
ToadMum
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Location: Essex

Re: Improve writing and increase reading

Post by ToadMum »

However it is formed, assuming that your DS actually finds his style easy / easier than the way that you want him to do it, the fact that his writing is legible is the most important thing.

Our DC's primary school insisted - or at least tried to insist - on its own 'brand' of cursive writing. DS1 and DD did their best to conform - DD with significantly more success than her elder sibling in the legibility stakes. DS2 never really even bothered, but probably got away with his refusal to comply with 'house style' by consistently producing pages of legible and intelligible prose from year 1 onwards, without stopping every few seconds to ask himself whether he'd joined letter a to letter b (so to speak) in precisely the 'right' place.

What 'extracurricular' interests does your DS have? Perhaps try reading e.g. the match reports in a 'better quality' newspaper with him if he likes sport? Or reviews of films or TV programmes that he has enjoyed, etc.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
Tinkers
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Re: Improve writing and increase reading

Post by Tinkers »

If he’s got adhd then any book that hold his attention is the way to go. Even if you hate them. He will move on at some point. If he’s not interested in the book it isn’t going to get read properly, if at all, so he might as well read something he likes. This is going to be true of most children but especially if ADHD is present.

Bear in mind that Neurodiverse conditions rarely appear on their own, they usually hunt in packs :lol: (DD has adhd, dyslexia and dyspraxia), so worth keeping an eye on if anything else may be lurking, even if it’s mild and isn't really causing obvious issues. DDs dyslexia doesn’t really cause her issues, she had no allowances at school because she wasn’t officially dx at that point, and doesn’t get any at uni for it because she doesn’t need any. She does get different adjustments for the ADHD though.

As I said before, if his writing is legible and he can write at sufficient speed, then I’d be tempted to let him get on with it. There maybe a reason he does it that might be worth seeking, but trying to get him to change handwriting at this stage is really going to be an uphill task and probably not beneficial. If he was a couple of years younger it might be worth it.
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