Struggles with writing - how to help and reasons to feel more positive

I see so many parents and teachers worrying about primary aged children's writing. The problem is we get really hung up on writing by hand and expecting so much so early. Two tips:

Embrace technology.

Typing or using speech-to-text alleviates the pressure on processing and working memory and can rapidly build confidence.

It's easier to plan and edit, it looks good and you can get creative with fonts, colours, templates etc which is motivating. No special software is needed.

Common word processing programs such as Word and Google Docs also have 'read aloud' options so your child can hear back what they have written which can help them identify mistakes more easily. Depending on what they struggle with speech-to-text is also a great option. If it's difficult to use this in class they can use it for homework to reduce stress.

Using a laptop/chromebook is a 'reasonable adjustment' and does not require a 'diagnosis' or any kind of professional assessment. Your child can use it in exams too. If they use spelling and grammar checkers they will lose marks for these skills so you and your child can decide if its best to use them or not as they move through school (do a cost benefit analysis on using and not using). It is still possible to achieve high grades even if they do lose some marks.

A big additional point here is that your child does NOT need to learn to touch type! If they want to that's great but for many kids it doesn't work. They WILL get quick at typing in their own way simply by doing it a lot. If your child does not want to use a laptop (my own child prefers to write) then go with that. It's totally okay.

Think forward to the future.

A lot of what is taught in primary school is unnecessary detail about grammar, punctuation, spellings and cursive writing (not the teacher's fault at all - blame the National Curriculum. I speak with teachers all the time and they are so frustrated with this). This is NOT necessary to do well at secondary level or GCSE's.

What is necessary is enough confidence to express your ideas. And you can do so in simple, clear sentences - without ever having to know about complex grammatical forms.

There is plenty of time to develop simple, straightforward writing skills by the time they are 16.

To summarise there is a lot of pressure in primary to achieve a level of writing that is neither appropriate nor necessary for so many children. So don't worry about year 6 sats etc - think long term. Think confidence about communicating ideas and think simple, clear sentences and they will have the tools they need.