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Kerry
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| Posted: March 31 2005 at 12:16pm | IP Logged
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Hi. I'm not sure this is the correct forum, but I am wondering if anyone has ideas in helping me develop confidence and skill in writing for my kindergartner. It's our first year homeschooling (he's the oldest of 4). I don't want to rush him. In fact, although he's been VERY interested/ready in other areas i'e. poetry, reading, nature study etc., I haven't pushed the writing b/c he HATES it so. He doesn't even like to color. However, now all his 5 yearoldhomeschooling friends can write their names etc, and he's frustrated and discouraged. I feel frustrated b/c I was hoping w/ homeschooling, we could avoid all of the pointless comparisons w/ other kids etc., however, it seems he's ended up doing just that (and honestly, maybe mom is too.  Any suggestions, so that my son doesn't grow up hating to write... Thanks in advance!
Kerry (ds Daniel '99, ds Isaiah '01, DD Gianna '03, ds Samuel '04)
(Please bear w/ me if this doesn't turn out right or at the right place, I've never used a message board before and am kinda learning by doing. 
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Kerry
married to DH John 8/8/98,
mommy to Daniel 8/6/99, Isaiah 7/10/01, Gianna 3/28/03, Samuel 10/11/04
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always_learning
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| Posted: March 31 2005 at 11:14pm | IP Logged
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Hi Kerry,
Your ds is 3 months younger than mine and mine has just recently begun to draw - horses and trees for the most part (and you should see those horses  ) Honestly, the writing and coloring will come in their own time. You can work on motor skills by playing with play-dough, doing puzzles, building with Legos, etc. My older two kept journals of scribble writings - "Look, Mommy, I can write just like Daddy!" 
Your son obviously loves language arts, it sounds like you're giving him a great learning environment Let him dictate some of those experiences to you and write for him. You can add pics and make mini books. Pretty soon he'll be wanting to create his own little books. IMO, it's okay to wait until he asks to do so.
I tell my son that people communicate and write in all kinds of ways and show him various forms of writing. Our dc also know that babies begin to walk and talk at different ages and that has absolutely nothing to do with how smart they are 
God's Peace be with you,
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Beate, mommy to:
dd(10), dd(8), ds(5), dd(3), and dd (1)
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alicegunther
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| Posted: April 01 2005 at 4:51am | IP Logged
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I do not have time to write much right now, but I just thought I would poke my head in to this conversation to agree wholeheartedly with Beate. I definitely would not push writing, especially at such a young age. The most important thing is to keep him interested. I would continue to do what you are doing--reading great literature, spending time outdoors, listening to narrations, and enjoying this golden time with your son.
I have not begun any formal writing whatsoever with my five year old, because I have learned from experience that she will be far more ready and receptive to it next year. My three older girls (11, 9, and 7) love to write and spend much of their free time journaling, story writing, making up hilarious comic strips, and adding to their nature journals. Your son will enjoy writing much more when his fine motor skills have developed a bit and, more importantly, when he finds reasons to write that are interesting to him.
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Love, Alice
mother of seven!
    
Cottage Blessings
Brew yourself a cup of tea, and come for a visit!
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Kerry
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| Posted: April 01 2005 at 8:02am | IP Logged
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Thank you for your replies. In my heart, I klnow you are right, and will try to be more patient (and help him to do the same) I guess one of my concerns is how will I know that he is ready? He tends to be a perfectionist and lacks the quality of perseverence in many things,(much like me) and I don't want to encourage him not to even "try" things because they are difficult or challenging. Yet, as you both said, I also don't want to push him before he is ready. I guess he'll show me he is ready just like he did when he FINALLY crawled at 10 months and walked at 15 months?
Thanks again.
Kerry
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Kerry
married to DH John 8/8/98,
mommy to Daniel 8/6/99, Isaiah 7/10/01, Gianna 3/28/03, Samuel 10/11/04
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juliecinci
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| Posted: April 01 2005 at 8:30am | IP Logged
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Kerry, I am assuming this is your oldest. Five does seem pretty old when it's your oldest child and eight seems like a baby when it's your youngest. You've got plenty of time.
Here are some ideas that might help spark interest in writing for your son (who most definitely should not be expected to write... only invited to if he chooses to):
1. You can color with him. If you turn on a video, lay on the floor and spread out colored pencils, like Prismacolors, (don't use crayons, they are too hard to use correctly) next to coloring books, the two of you can color together. Work on the same page or different pages. Or you color and he watches TV. At some point, he may join you if it is low key and non-threatening.
2. You can jot down things that he says that make you laugh or reveal his intelligence. Read them to your husband in his presence later that day.
3. You can pour sugar or salt or sand onto a cookie sheet and he can spell his name with his finger. It's easy to fix if he makes a mistake and it feels really cool.
4. You can make a name book for him. Draw the letters of his name really big and then help him look for pictures to go on those pages that start with that sound. Then trace over the letters with his finger (not a pencil).
5. He can cut out letters that spell his name and glue them to card stock in the right order.
Hope some of these give you things to do with him so that you don't feel behind, either.
And if it's any consolation, three of my kids didn't read until they were over eight. Two of them wanted to read when they turned five and it took three more years before it clicked. They watched their friends read and worried about themselves. But eventually they did read and they learned how to cope with the feelings of not being up to the speed of their peers because my husband and I just kept telling them they were doing great and it would eventually happen. And we helped them as much as we could.
If you offer lots of support and remind your son that he'll write as surely as he ties his shoes or chews gum, he will not worry so much about his peers.
Julie
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Julie
Homeschooling five for fourteen years
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Kerry
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| Posted: April 01 2005 at 2:56pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for the great ideas, Julie! Yes, you guessed right. Daniel is my oldest, and "seems" so old b/c I have 3 others that are behind him...the closest 31/2. I am going to give the coloring ideas especially a try. Being the oldest in a very busy household, he doesn't always get alot of one-to-one mommy time that is laid back and not rushed. 
He also LOVES to talk, so I'm also going to plan on starting to write down his words too. What a wondeful idea .
Thank you.
Kerry
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Kerry
married to DH John 8/8/98,
mommy to Daniel 8/6/99, Isaiah 7/10/01, Gianna 3/28/03, Samuel 10/11/04
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4Real Forums : Language Arts Come Alive
Topic: writing for a 51/2 yo
