Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Elementary School Reluctant writers

Chris1234 you described my DS6 perfectly - that is exactly what is happening with our little guy. When he asked to write his chapter book the other day ..he was just giddy and super excited and was literally hopping from one foot to the other about the concept he had for his book. He started spewing out stuff left and right like a giant volcano exploding and I couldn't keep up with him. I grabbed a piece of paper and showed him how to jot down the ideas that were in his head before they got lost. There is just no way he could have gotten everything typed out if I hadn't typed for him while he told me the story.

Are other people seeing this sort of welling up of energy, which, while clearly the source of the cool ideas, might also be the reason it is nearly impossible to write?[/quote]

The hand shaking and excitement happens to my son often when he gets excited about an idea. sometimes it actually feels a unconfortable to me but I try not to show that.

I think a little tape recorder would be great or even a video recording. I haven't tried this yet but I should.

Yes - I've seen DS6 get excited and he wells up and just talks endlessly. I've had to type his ideas for him in the past. I used to get like this at school too. The minute the questions was posed - I'd have what felt like 100 ideas at once and would have to scribble everything down really fast so I wouldn't lose my best ideas. Then I'd be able to actually wirte the test essay under exam conditions - but I guess I was about 15/16 before I had really gotten this skill down. My father used to tell my mother that his hand couldn't keep up with his brain - and you could literally see it on his face when he was listening - that his mind was working over time, thinking through 5 things and he was about to blurt out the next point ...with no concern for where his audience was ...

That is wonderful! DS13 turned one corner in 3rd grade when he had to write a paragraph for every letter of the alphabet. The first letters he would try to edit/critique/rough draft all at the same time, with lots of frustration and low results. Everything looked 'too babyish' to him. But by the end of the alphabet, he finally 'saw the light' and got giddy so he would toss out any old thing. Looking for a 'Winter Subject' that started with the letter Y I remember that we were both having fits of giggles. 'Yule Logs are hard to find in Jewish homes....' something like that. I see that as a big step forward in DS overcoming his writting reluctance. The next year he learned to type and the rest is history.

I think that when your son has something that he wants to say, and an audience to hear it, he'll want to write. Maybe encourage him to compose letters to the local newspaper on his perspectives?

Best Wishes,
Grinity

Thanks for the link OTGM - I've just started thinking that we should look for something like that!

Funny you should mention that Grinity because today DS7 had his first live lesson with his teacher and fellow classmates. I couldn't keep his hands off the keyboard he was so busy chatting with the other kids. When it was over he said he might like to do online school for maybe 4 more years. (He wants to go to school when he is old enough to date.) Funniest thing to me was the fact that he almost always leaves off vowels in his spelling so for chatting online he was in 7th heaven. LOL I think we are well on our way to keyboarding and skipping writing altogether.

As far as the excitedness, my DS starts covering his ears when there is more than one question. He needs peace and quiet to ponder. He is a deep thinker.

Thts wndrfl nws! I'm so gld h's hvng fn.

too funny!
Grinity

That's awesome that they're letting him move up and letting you transcribe for him!!!

My son is only 5 but last year it was such a fight to get him to trace a letter and this year it's much better. I think with him his motor skills just developed a little more and it's not as much of a struggle for him.

Good luck!

Well he now knows several short cuts like ? for the actual word question, " if you are repeating something above it, #, and several others. I am trying to teach him some of the fun shortcuts so writing is a little more interesting. My son hated tracing too. He loves the emoticons on the computer and really loves LOL, ROFL, U2, etc.

FUNNY SPELL CHECK




Eye halve a spelling chequer, It came with my pea sea, It plainly marques four my revue Miss steaks eye kin knot sea. Eye strike a key and type a word And weight four it two say Weather eye am wrong oar write It shows me strait a weigh. As soon as a mist ache is maid It nose bee fore two long And eye can put the error rite Its rarely ever wrong. Eye have run this poem threw it I'm shore your pleased two no Its letter perfect in it's weigh, My chequer tolled me sew.

I thought this was fun. enjoy