[jewelsJZ]

I have an almost 6 year old in public school half-day kindergarden. He struggles with handwriting, gets really frustrated, screams, refuses to do it. Not really a worksheet kind of guy. Fine motor skills have always challenged him.
Here's why I am putting this in the Learning at Home forum. I'd like to help him with this at home. Any suggestions? Handwriting Without Tears, what do you all think of that? What else can I do to help him at home with writing? This is where he got some lower marks and comments on the latest report card and I know he really has a rough time with it. At home he will want to write something, like a card for a relative, and it always ends in frustration, crumpling up the paper, stomping off, etc.
With regards to reading, he has begun to read the first set of BOB books. What else can I get for him that is at this level? Anything else frustrates him and it's just more of the same, stomping off, throwing the book, etc.
I don't want to push him, so maybe the thing is just to let him be, I just am not sure. He is really smart but he gets so upset if he doesn't get something right away.

 

[lach]

Handwriting Without Tears sounds like it would be perfect for him. It's very simple and I think it works well with boys who fit your son's profile in particular.

I would also work on his fine motor skills. Play dough, sensory table, lacing cards, coloring, mazes, dot to dot books. Even if you're workbook adverse, the Kumon preschool books about tracing, drawing, dot to dots, and mazes are really well done and super cute.

Another thing that some parents and teachers miss is to make sure he knows how to hold the pencil the right away. A lot of people overlook that, but it can really help things. Even if it's easy to write a few lines while holding it the wrong way, little hands can tire very easily doing that, leading to frustration and sloppiness.

 

[elizawill]

hugs. i'm sorry you're dealing with all of this. my little guy is almost 6 too and sounds similar to your son. we use HWT and it does seem to help. secondly, it helps my ds to write with the HWT pencils. basically they are just sharpened down pencils (only a few inches tall). this helps him with grip. lastly, if you take crayons and break them into thirds for your ds & have him color with those - it helps with fine motor skills a lot. an OT here at MDC suggested this for my son, and it has helped him tremendously. evidentally, it's impossible to hold a small crayon incorrectly.

as for reading, he may enjoy starfall.com or readingeggs.com (one is free - one isn't). my son loves computer time, and these websites seem like games to him. hth.

 

[jewelsJZ]

Thanks so much, mommas. I think I will get some of the HWT materials, others seem easy to replicate at home so we will do the HWT exercises from their website with what we have here.
Also had forgotten about Starfall. He used to use this a lot. Until he discovered pbskids.org and noggin. Will check out the readingeggs.com. He just did a few minutes on Starfall and is now playing with play dough, working on strengthening his hands