Today is WFMW-Backwards Edition which means we get to ask questions and hopefully they get answered by the wonderful people who follow RIMD.
My predicament--My oldest son will be 5 in January. We're currently homeschooling him and he's smart as he can be. We've had no issues....he's reading and doing simple math. Except that his writing is atrocious. I can't figure out how to teach him to correctly hold a pencil since I've never done it correctly myself. Getting him to write is a sure and quick way for us both to dissolve to tears.
So here's my question: Is he too young? Is this something I should hold off on for a while? I would normally do that in any normal situation, but because he's a little bit further ahead in other ways, it's getting a little difficult to get very far in our math/reading curriculum without him being able to write. Should I keep trying to get him to do it right? Are there any techniques I could use (besides the tissue holding one...he LOATHES that)? What about a good, affordable handwriting curriculum for very young children....anyone have any recommendations for that?
I know there are scores of people way smarter than me on this subject...please answer with anything you've got!:)
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Works for Me Wednesday-Backwards Edition
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9 comments:
Oh Please someone answer this! I'm having the same exact problem! My son hates the tissue holding thing too! He holds a pencil with his thumb and every finger but his pinkie! ARRRGH!
Hi, Alli! One thing I've learned first hand as a homeschool Mom of 6 boys and 4 girls is that boys develop differently than we do ~ their small motor coordination is typically slower to develop. And, seriously, with the men in our family, I don't know that it will ever develp to John Hancock standards. &:o) It is good that they learn to hold the pencil "properly" but not really essential. With practice, he'll improve, regardless. It's worse if he gets a complex by fretting over it too much. He'll get better, just watch! Other things are more important now, like learning to love learning!
I think Shannon actually had a tip not too long ago about this. you can see it here...
http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/2007/07/works-for-me-te.html
My son is 5 too. I bought some pencil grips that have a star where your thumb goes, and grooves for your other two fingers.
Like these:
http://www.styluscentral.com/pencilgrip.html
I bought them at a teacher/school supply store though.
I remember them working with me on this in the fourth grade. And I still hold it wrong. I would say as long as he can hold it some way that works for him, and is learning to write, just work with what you've got. :)
But that's not official or anything.
OH I know this one. with my 11yod I didn't ever try to correct his pencil grip or letter direction & it's still odd. the only thing that works for him is those little funny shaped pencil grippers I can buy them at the stationary store & at the teacher supply store they're like 1.60 each
for the younger boy I used the "lobster claw" grip & made up a funny story about it & tickled him with the "lobster claw" (thumb & first two fingers)
he writes much more neatly than his older brother.
Mrs N
We were having the same problem until I found this post http://liltinghouse.clubmom.com/the_lilting_house/2006/09/learning_to_wri.html.
The cotton ball has helped us( dd wouldn't go for the broken pencil).
HTH!!
Let's try that again http://liltinghouse.clubmom.com/the_lilting_house/2006/09/learning_to_wri.html . Sorry
Hi, my son will be 5 next month and we homeschool too. I have noticed that by not focusing on holding the pencil correctly that he is starting to do it on his own. The more we focus on his actual writing and formation and reminding him to color slowly he has naturally began to readjust and hold it correctly on his own.
I actually did not hold my pencil correctly till I was in middle school because they way I held it was most comfortable for me. So I would say that as long as his writing is ledgible in the future and he is comfortable, don't fret over it. : )
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