Is this handwriting problem normal for a 6-year-old in first grade?

Thank you! Yeah my concerns are a lot more than just the writing, we’ve gotta go through alot of testing with genetics right now, thank you for letting know. I didn’t realize that the letter reversals were normal up until 3rd grade.

I have his first speech therapy appointment scheduled I’m just waiting for OT to get back with me because that’s the one that I haven’t received any information on yet.

That could be a reason why the teacher hasn’t got back with me also my kid has been out of school since Tuesday because he’s been really sick so maybe she’s just gathering all of the information for the 504 plan and the EIP‘s like I asked her to last week.. I’ve so many different activities to try and help, sensory things at home, saving creams, play-doh , the-dye noodles for counting.. last year they suggested that we get Legos and Play-Doh so we went out and we grabbed a bunch of Legos and Play-Doh he will not play with the Legos and the Play-Doh he plays with but he loses interest in it really fast. I don’t know how he’s been with scissors this year but I know last year he got them taken away from him all year because he cut up his clothes multiple times when he got mad in class. I’ll have to check to see if we got him left-handed scissors.

I’ve tried. I have probably 15-20 different kinds of “work” activity books, he will not sit down with me. It’s like I have to pull teeth, he loves doing homework but he will literally fight with me about sitting down and practicing schoolwork when he knows that he needs to practice. I try and sit down with him daily and it just turns into a fight, if he gets even one tiny little thing wrong it ruins it and it’s the end he will not do anything after that. Thank you, I honestly didn’t realize that the backwards writing is something that could go all the way into 2nd grade.

@jays.mom. I saw that you said he was cutting up his clothes with his scissors last year, can you get him some paper scissors? These won't cut anything that's not paper. Just wanted to say that about scissors.

Will he watch YouTube videos? There's a video on there, I think it's writing letters with squiglet, they do from a to z, it's lengthy though, but I think they have it broken up for each letter. I'm thinking he could watch the video and want to copy what they're doing? But, even if he just watches without copying them, he might still be learning how to form the letters. Squiglet also has drawing, so maybe he might try the drawing, if he does either, he gets to practice his writing and build strength in his hands.

@mujerstillregal, I didn’t even know they made paper scissors 🤔 I’m definitely looking into those.

See the thing with YouTube is he will watch it …I’ve had to take it off of all of the TVs and all of the devices because he gets bored with it and then he’ll start watching other stuff that is not appropriate for kids.. I haven’t tried the squiglet video yet. I’m going to give it a try and see what he does, I even have ABC mouse and it’s got so many different games and everything that they can trace and do matching games and all kinds of stuff and he plays on there for like 15-20 minutes and then he just gives up. At this point I’m willing to give anything a shot. Thank you so much

I’m hoping so cause this has been on ongoing problem. He has never really been able to grasp the right way to do his “s” or his “n”. Even in kindergarten when he received the extra help at home and school it’s been the same.

He has absolutely no desire to hold a pencil, marker, crayon nothing because his hands get too tired too quick, or he goes from his left hand to his right hand and it just doesn’t work so then he gets frustrated and he literally will yell at me and tell me he doesn’t want to do it and just shut down.

@jays.mom., that sounds miserable for both of you! 😢 Do you know if he’s right or left handed? Maybe he’s ambidextrous and can’t figure out which one to use? Have you tried dry erase markers on a dry erase board? My daughter loved that in kindergarten. I bought lots of colors and let her pick. For some reason that was way more fun than pencil and paper.

@2sweetie, he is left-handed. Yes unfortunately we’ve tried that.. we have an easel with a whiteboard side and a chalkboard side.. he loses interest in it. I tried markers and coloring books and he just gets bored with the coloring books and just starts running all over himself in the house with the markers😂

@humblewarriormama, @jays.mom., I agree it took over 12 weeks for my son to get into OT he’s now being referred to behavior therapy as well and the waitlist is even longer but the school actually is helping us rn get him into it quicker by referral of them so it’s alot of calling around if they can’t help but once you get in it’s such a relief !

@humblewarriormama, Holy shit I thought the geneticist had a long wait and thats six months out. Thank you so much, because had I not come here or had I not just taken a little time to just ask a few select people that I think would have the answers to this stuff the school wouldn’t give up the information and my kid would just ultimately fail. I would assume that if the pediatrician thinks he needs all of there’s therapies they’d be done outside of school as well? I’m going to take the time to look around, just so that way if the school does say no I have other options in mind.

I’m gonna go ahead and I’m going to give his teacher another email and see if she’s got any information on anything that I’ve asked her to get information on and I’m just waiting for them to call me back about the OT referral so that’s kind of in limbo right now.

(I see your other concerns above and I am not trying to dismiss you!) But I don’t think it’s too alarming in 1st as it’s own issue.

@justgotaname, you’re fine! The only reason why I’m really concerned about the writing is like I said above, he gets really tired easy and and he tries to switch from his left hand to his right hand and when he can’t use his right hand properly he goes back to his left hand but his left hand is so tired that he just gives up.

@jays.mom., no not yet because last year I really thought it was a learning curve but he’s been doing it so consistently this year even though I have a sheet with the alphabet and numbers on it for him to look at and he still will do it backwards so this year is when my worry really set in his yearly check up is soon so I’m definitely bringing it up because my husband said his parents never got him help and it wasn’t till middle school that he even knew he had it and he struggled so I’d like to help and prevent that if I can

@mamiluna, my husbands mom did the same, she just didn’t pay attention to that kinda stuff. I’m not about that life, I also am concerned about the writing because he gets really really tired when writing and he tries to switch hands and it just doesn’t work and then he gets so frustrated and it’s just becoming such a big argument🫣. I’m right there with you, there are too many resources that are out there for us to not get the help if it’s needed.

@jays.mom., glad I’m not the only one concerned most my family thinks I’m crazy but all of are kids are different so I know I’m not lol he’s always needed a little extra attention and I’m here to give it I rather him have all the tools in his toolbox of life than have to struggle !

He’s been writing his name this way since kindergarten and it’s not just his name it’s anything that has an S or anything that has an N or even the J he’s riding them backwards..

to be honest with you anytime I ask his teacher anything she always tells me that she’ll get back to me, this is her first year ever teaching so when I ask her questions I really don’t get an answer and when she does reply back to me she tells me that she’ll get with her team and she’ll let me know. For example I asked her where all the information was for the EIP that I filled out and where the 504 information was and she has yet to get back with me. I’m thinking that I may need to go higher up and go to the principal or something

Okay, it’s been like an on going thing and when I tell him the “right” way he says that it’s not suppose to be like that and I ends up in an argument 🙃

@jays.mom. I've been there to 🙃 it's a struggle but it'll get better. Just keep showing him the right way. Sometimes I just stare at my daughter when she wants to tell me I'm wrong 😐🤣

@ksmommyx3, yes the stare I know that all too well 😂 well I just keep reiterating the right way to write things down