New here and handwriting questions
thishappymama
Hi all,
I've just joined this group and fairly recently have begun exploring unschooling. In researching the subject I have felt like this huge weight has been lifted off of me (as in "so I really don't have to force my kid to do all that schoolwork that he hates!). I've had some real "aha" moments.
I have an 8 year old son and a 3 year old daughter. My son is extremely bright and learns best from literature. He's a huge mythology buff, amongst other subjects. He also has some major struggles with handwriting and pretty much anything else that requires use of motor skills (from eating to riding a bike). I've come across so many articles and information on late blooming readers (which ease my mind about the fact that he's not reading yet) but so little on handwriting and motor skill "delays".
I'm curious if anyone has had any similar experiences they could share. I'm basically trying to work out whether to worry about there being a real learning problem (i.e. visual development issue) or to chalk it up to a readiness issue.
Thanks in advance for any insight!
Cheers,
HappyMama
I've just joined this group and fairly recently have begun exploring unschooling. In researching the subject I have felt like this huge weight has been lifted off of me (as in "so I really don't have to force my kid to do all that schoolwork that he hates!). I've had some real "aha" moments.
I have an 8 year old son and a 3 year old daughter. My son is extremely bright and learns best from literature. He's a huge mythology buff, amongst other subjects. He also has some major struggles with handwriting and pretty much anything else that requires use of motor skills (from eating to riding a bike). I've come across so many articles and information on late blooming readers (which ease my mind about the fact that he's not reading yet) but so little on handwriting and motor skill "delays".
I'm curious if anyone has had any similar experiences they could share. I'm basically trying to work out whether to worry about there being a real learning problem (i.e. visual development issue) or to chalk it up to a readiness issue.
Thanks in advance for any insight!
Cheers,
HappyMama
Sandra Dodd
-=- I've come across so many articles and information on late blooming readers (which ease my mind about the fact that he's not reading yet) but so little on handwriting and motor skill "delays".
-=-I'm curious if anyone has had any similar experiences they could share. I'm basically trying to work out whether to worry about there being a real learning problem (i.e. visual development issue) or to chalk it up to a readiness issue. -=-
For unschooling to work, it will help you to stop comparing him to other kids his age. Stop thinking of him as extremely bright, or as delayed, and help him find things he wants to do without regard to whether you would have (in your former thinking) considered them "too easy" or "too simple" or whatever. Playing around with whatever he enjoys will help him develop skills.
This might help:
http://sandradodd.com/intelligences
http://sandradodd.com/nest
http://sandradodd.com/strewing
Don't ask him to write anything. Let that slide off to the side. I'm guessing he gets to play on the computer. Don't try to press him to use pencil and paper. He can pick that up later, on his own.
-=- My son is extremely bright and learns best from literature.-=-
Don't look at "learns best from" situations. Provide him all kinds of input rather than trying to aim for a "learning style" or something. Mix it up. And by "literature," I hope that doesn't mean you're pressing him to read, but that you're reading to him and finding him movies or videos or audiobooks along with that.
Sandra
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-=-I'm curious if anyone has had any similar experiences they could share. I'm basically trying to work out whether to worry about there being a real learning problem (i.e. visual development issue) or to chalk it up to a readiness issue. -=-
For unschooling to work, it will help you to stop comparing him to other kids his age. Stop thinking of him as extremely bright, or as delayed, and help him find things he wants to do without regard to whether you would have (in your former thinking) considered them "too easy" or "too simple" or whatever. Playing around with whatever he enjoys will help him develop skills.
This might help:
http://sandradodd.com/intelligences
http://sandradodd.com/nest
http://sandradodd.com/strewing
Don't ask him to write anything. Let that slide off to the side. I'm guessing he gets to play on the computer. Don't try to press him to use pencil and paper. He can pick that up later, on his own.
-=- My son is extremely bright and learns best from literature.-=-
Don't look at "learns best from" situations. Provide him all kinds of input rather than trying to aim for a "learning style" or something. Mix it up. And by "literature," I hope that doesn't mean you're pressing him to read, but that you're reading to him and finding him movies or videos or audiobooks along with that.
Sandra
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De
<<<I have an 8 year old son and a 3 year old daughter. My son is extremely bright and learns best from literature. He's a huge mythology buff, amongst other subjects. He also has some major struggles with handwriting and pretty much anything else that requires use of motor skills>>>
It is a brain-development thing. :~) Our oldest, Wyl (now 12 1/2), was at the reading books about the same level as the Laura Ingalls "Little House" series by 5 (I say "by 5" because that was when I became aware of it), and had a pretty extensive vocabulary from early on. That's where his brain developed first. His writing, when he did, was barely legible: letters (and numbers) were askew, sideways (lying down on the "line"), backwards, and sometimes had extra parts or less pieces than traditionally made. I don't know if he ever knew they looked different.
He didn't write a lot - just a word or two here and there to describe his amazing creature drawings. Often when he *did* write, he asked how to spell things. Usually, when it was more than a word or two, he asked me to write it for him. I like to say I take dictation from him. :~) Over the years, his writing showed no improvement - his brain was developing in other areas.
Somewhere within the past 18 months, his brain developed in this area. His desire to write more increased as well (which came first, if either, I don't know). He asked me to read something he'd written and I was mildly surprised to note that his handwriting had taken a *huge* leap in "skill level" since the last time I'd seen it. Not surprising in that it *did* happen, just that I hadn't known it had. Quietly, naturally, it came in it's own time when his brain was ready.
He also learned to ride a bike this summer. He'd been trying and trying for years, with training wheels - leaning on them so heavily that we needed to get him heavy-duty ones. We bought the same wheels for his bike at Grandma's house. He seemed a bit frustrated, but sometimes his enjoyment of riding/trying outweighed his frustration. Sometimes the frustration kept him from the bike for long periods. This summer, we were at a friend's house and he got on the friend's bike and rode off down the street - no training wheels, no fuss, he just got on and rode like he'd been doing it for years. His brain and his body were ready.
I've come to think of it as what I read about infants when he was very little; how they focus intently on one skill until it is learned and then sometimes forget it while the brain moves on to develop another area. Everyone's brain develops differently and my kids don't always look like my friend's or family's kids - they have their own, unannounced schedule.
Peace,
De
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It is a brain-development thing. :~) Our oldest, Wyl (now 12 1/2), was at the reading books about the same level as the Laura Ingalls "Little House" series by 5 (I say "by 5" because that was when I became aware of it), and had a pretty extensive vocabulary from early on. That's where his brain developed first. His writing, when he did, was barely legible: letters (and numbers) were askew, sideways (lying down on the "line"), backwards, and sometimes had extra parts or less pieces than traditionally made. I don't know if he ever knew they looked different.
He didn't write a lot - just a word or two here and there to describe his amazing creature drawings. Often when he *did* write, he asked how to spell things. Usually, when it was more than a word or two, he asked me to write it for him. I like to say I take dictation from him. :~) Over the years, his writing showed no improvement - his brain was developing in other areas.
Somewhere within the past 18 months, his brain developed in this area. His desire to write more increased as well (which came first, if either, I don't know). He asked me to read something he'd written and I was mildly surprised to note that his handwriting had taken a *huge* leap in "skill level" since the last time I'd seen it. Not surprising in that it *did* happen, just that I hadn't known it had. Quietly, naturally, it came in it's own time when his brain was ready.
He also learned to ride a bike this summer. He'd been trying and trying for years, with training wheels - leaning on them so heavily that we needed to get him heavy-duty ones. We bought the same wheels for his bike at Grandma's house. He seemed a bit frustrated, but sometimes his enjoyment of riding/trying outweighed his frustration. Sometimes the frustration kept him from the bike for long periods. This summer, we were at a friend's house and he got on the friend's bike and rode off down the street - no training wheels, no fuss, he just got on and rode like he'd been doing it for years. His brain and his body were ready.
I've come to think of it as what I read about infants when he was very little; how they focus intently on one skill until it is learned and then sometimes forget it while the brain moves on to develop another area. Everyone's brain develops differently and my kids don't always look like my friend's or family's kids - they have their own, unannounced schedule.
Peace,
De
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