My son is a great reader - but has terrible hand-writing

[JoannaV]

Sometimes it might be harder to have great handwriting whilst creating, because one is so caught up in the creation, you know? That also might be part of why he has trouble with punctuation. He may or may not improve upon second draft, depending on how much of that is just tidying up as opposed to real redrafting.

 

[Edward]

EMP? Possible, but most improbable captain. Watching too much of Revolution.

If the cops can use them on cars, your tablet or laptop shouldn't be much of a problem.

RF Safe-Stop shuts down car engines with radio pulse
BBC News - RF Safe-Stop shuts down car engines with radio pulse
3 December 2013

 

[Edward]

His upper-arm strength is fine and motor skills are good enough to climb trees and play mud-football in the afternoons.

Handwriting would use fine motor skills, not gross motor skills. One is not determinative of the other.

 

[jandrusk]

Well the other factor for me is having essential tremor. Typing has never been an issue with EBT, but handwriting is sometimes impossible.

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[Scottish Lass]

I was going to suggest Handwriting without Tears, too.

 

[jwithnell]

Handwriting would use fine motor skills, not gross motor skills. One is not determinative of the other.

You absolutely must have the gross motor skills in place before mastering the fine motor skills -- if you can't hold your body or upper arm steady, you're not going to be able to isolate the tiny muscle movements in your hands.

I'd also add that drawing with colored pencils can be extremely helpful if a child enjoys it -- he may be willing to do this for long stretches while "copy work" can become tedious.

 

[jogri17]

Realistically, this is not an academic crisis, rather it is an inconvenience for teachers who have to read his handwriting. My though is simply ignore cursive (which is irrelevant) and focus on trying to get passable printing for handwritten essays and tests. But there is no question that by the time he is in High School, everything will be typed in some manner or another.

 

[Philip]

But there is no question that by the time he is in High School, everything will be typed in some manner or another.

Not necessarily true. If I were teaching high school and was administering a test, I would have them handwrite it.

 

[jandrusk]

Interesting video indeed. I would disagree with the statement that shifting the work to machines makes the words sterile. It's about the content, not the form or medium. Be it a pen, papyrus, a printing press, or a keyboard.

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[Philip]

Interesting video indeed. I would disagree with the statement that shifting the work to machines makes the words sterile. It's about the content, not the form or medium. Be it a pen, papyrus, a printing press, or a keyboard.

Be it poetry or prose? Words or pictures? Spoken like a true engineer. For myself, the art of writing, whether it be in notes or as essays, enables me to learn and retain better. I do not have good handwriting and probably never will (though writing Greek certainly helps) yet somehow I am richer for having learned to write. And I suspect that the written word will not be entirely replaced by the typed one any more than the printed word has replaced the written word or any more than the written word has entirely replaced the carved one.

 

[Pergamum]

Next year we will get him a typing program. We are looking for one that comes in an ipad app (we have a wireless keyboard)...if you have any suggestions. I agree that as soon as Noah becomes a good typer (instead of a hunt-and-peck typer) this will aid him and that learnign to type, even at 9 or 10 years old might be more beneficial than learning long-hand cursive.

Any programs or app?

 

[psycheives]

Have hope! I was a homeschooled kid and I had practically zero English taught to me at all, but because I read a ton, I can write and punctuate today. The reading naturally filters in and as you keep reading, your writing starts reflecting what you are reading. Thanks to his love for reading, his writing skills will naturally progress.

Also, I had the prettiest writing but when college struck and I had to write a mile a minute, so now my writing can be really ugly. But there are few times when we have to write to others by hand these days. I'm sure by the time your son is 16, he will be able to write a legible note by hand. But papers are now all on computer. I wouldn't come down on him too hard. He will naturally grow out of it if he keeps reading.