Ideas to help 6 yo with writing/spelling? Post Reply

[Valleyhat]

Does anyone have any recommendations for how to help a 6 year old who struggles with writing, both spelling and handwriting?

My 6 year old son is a bright boy but is struggling with handwriting and spelling. Most of the writing he does at school is very difficult to read / interpret and his Y2 teacher appears to be quite concerned.

Can people recommend a tutor, a book series, or any other approach that has helped in a similar situation. My son was anxious to return to school after half term because of his difficulty with literacy, and I'd love to find a way to help him through this (without overloading him).

Also should we think about testing for e.g. dyslexia / dyspraxia? Is this the right age and what good could a diagnosis do?

[Mumofoneandpup]

I have PM'd you

[Luilou]

http://www.amandamcleod.org/

Have a look here, my step-son has attended some sessions and found them really helpful.

[hblomefield]

Hi there

Learning to read is a challenge for many children, and the process needs to be made as stress-free as possible - as with any learning, motivation, praise and confidence-building are key. Parents can play a huge part in the process, with bed-time stories, diary writing, trips to museums etc.

Here are a few tips:

Give your son access to a wide variety of reading material including whether it be story books, children’s magazines or comics. Variety often helps, and if he finds something that he really enjoys reading it will encourage him to read more.

Make the experience interactive. Ask questions about the story, get him to predict what will happen next, what does he think of the characters? Ask him if he is enjoying what he is reading so that you can suggest further reading from it.

Boys (sorry to generalise) often prefer non-fiction, so if your son has any particular interests or hobbies try and buy/borrow books that are relevant to these.

Share the reading. Read a sentence or a page each. Get him to read a couple of pages and you read on. He can re-read the bits that you read at another time. This will take the pressure off him, and allow him to follow the words when you are reading your section.

Don’t get stuck on one word! Otherwise the sense of the text will be lost, and the enjoyment will go. Learning to read needs to be an enjoyable experience, not one that is filled with pressure.

When helping your son read outside of school the main thing to focus on is giving confidence and praise.

Hope this helps!

Harriet

[hblomefield]

Sorry, I meant to say that writing and spelling all stems from reading!

[Valleyhat]

Thanks all! I will follow-up on your advice.