How Do I Get My 5yr Old Kindergartener To Do Work Faster?
My 5yr old daughter is having problems in kindergarten. Namely writing exercises. Her teacher says that she works slower than most kids, she scribbles a lot and it takes her a long time to do the work. Her work is sloppy and contains lots of erasure marks. I have seen some of the other kids work, but hers is not nearly as good. Her teacher says she is reading and she feels this is stopping her from moving forward. She knows a lot but she can’t get it to translate on paper. . Her teacher and I feel that she can do the work but this is a hurdle. She wants to hold her back in kindergarten -any suggestions? How can I get her to work faster and neater and do it in class?
It is very possible she has a writing problem like dyslexia, it can be purely mechanical but know that it is probably very frustrating for your child as well.
I think the best thing you can do is just have her practice as much as possible outside of class. get those workbooks with just lines and lines of letters and have her copy them to build her hand strength and get good practice forming letters quickly and accurately.
Computers will be her best friend when she grows up.
All things considered if writing is her main hang up, especially if it is just mechanical problems holding her back may very well do more harm than good in the long run unless she has a very late birthday.
Practice ALOT at home. Slowness can come from many things but most of the time, the child is being extra cautious because they are unsure. Practice, practice, practice! Make her enjoy it. Let her write a letter to her favorite aunt, uncle, cousin, etc. Make sure they write her back.
Also watch the way she is holding the pencil. Make sure she is holding it correctly with the correct grip strength, with the right fingers, etc. If this doesn’t work by July, consult an occupational therapist. There could be some muscle issues.
At this age, a bribe works very well. Get her to practice at home and offer her some kind of treat(not necessarily food) to complete the task in 3 minutes or some other time period. If she is interested in the reward she will do her best to finish quickly. Also, since she is erasing a lot, it may be that she is trying to be perfect. Encourage her by having her write little notes to her Dad or siblings, aunt
Mary, etc. She should be able to pick up some speed eventually. Let her teacher know what you are doing at home to get her up to speed. If you continue these exercises all summer it will make a big difference. If her teacher knows you are helping her, she may reconsider holding her back.
However, some of us go our own speed no matter how much people rush us. If that is the case, holding her back might be the best for your child.