2nd Grade teacher reply saying she has no resources

[Anonymous]

She must not think it's that bad. Handwriting isn't really a focus in public schools. Buy a book or print pages from the internet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get a Handwriting Without Tears workbook as a PP recommended and have your child work daily in the book.

Or ask for the OT to evaluate your child.

+1 to both of these suggestions

[Anonymous]

NP here. I also have a 2nd grader. He needs to slow down and make a concious effort for anyone to read his writing. This rarely happens. Spelling is a huge struggle too. If we try Handwriting without Tears, where do you suggest we start? I saw the different levels on the website.

To the OP- our teacher keeps telling me to remind him at home to slow down but that many kids improve by 3rd. She hasn't given him any extra work or practice.

[Anonymous]

There is such a fast paced curriculum and so many skills to be covered. If it isn't in the curriculum, it's difficult to find time and resources for another skill. She really may not have time to search for handwriting resources when she has math, science, reading, etc which are assessed. It's a matter of something's got to give. It seems that handwriting is a subject that has plenty of resources that are available online or teacher stores. Why not teach your child a letter a day and have him practice it...set up your own curriculum for him at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the first time I have contacted any teacher from K up to now asking for assistance. DC's handwriting is not only sloppy but also can be illegible - which is my concern. I emailed the teacher asking if she could add some handwriting work to DC's homework (which is 5 minutes per week) or to please provide some ideas . The teacher replied that she would have to search on the internet just like I have and that she has no resources. I do some practice at home already but it's been a struggle so I was hoping the school could help a little. What do you think of this reply?

This is odd. A 2nd grade teacher doesn't know offhand of a few things she can recommend at the very least? She would have to Google to provide some ideas?

Certainly in the time that it took to type her response, many of the PPs (and I, and many teachers) could have quickly said, "Try the ____ workbooks, or really anything you'd find on Amazon-- the only magic is in the daily practice, so even handwriting paper will do. But I'm not concerned about it."

Good teachers have resources. They ARE resources.

[Anonymous]

I would not like the reply. However, you could simply practice with your child. I have a preschooler and 1st grader. My first grader was writing many letters backwards and WE would practice with him. My preschooler will be in kindergarten this fall. He writes backwards too. We practice with him. There is no shortage of workbooks and double lined paper where you can practice letters. We don't print resources online. I have double lined paper from the dollar store.

[Anonymous]

Try Handwriting Without Tears.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here. I also have a 2nd grader. He needs to slow down and make a concious effort for anyone to read his writing. This rarely happens. Spelling is a huge struggle too. If we try Handwriting without Tears, where do you suggest we start? I saw the different levels on the website.

To the OP- our teacher keeps telling me to remind him at home to slow down but that many kids improve by 3rd. She hasn't given him any extra work or practice.

Handwriting Without Tears is a curriculum by grade level, so just get the Grade 2 book--Printing Power. HWT helped my son's handwriting over the summer a couple of years ago.

[Anonymous]

I think it is weird thw you bothered the teacher about this.
Just get a handwriting workbook from Amazon or B&N and spend time at home on it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try Handwriting Without Tears.

+1

My child's private school used these books starting in K and up until 3rd grade.

[Anonymous]

What is the greatschools rating of your school

[Anonymous]

Another recommendation for Handwriting Without Tears. I've got 3 kids, 2 with fine motor issues. It was a great investment for us. Their handwriting isn't as great as my kid without the fine motor issues but it is legible. You might also look into some pencil grips. Two of my kids had good pencil grasps but did find writing fatiguing. The grips helped them as well as the kid who struggled with a tripod grasp. https://www.therapyshoppe.com/search-results?searchword=pencil%20grips&searchphrase=all

[Anonymous]

This is something you can do without teacher's help. Why do you have to ask for teacher's help anyway?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is something you can do without teacher's help. Why do you have to ask for teacher's help anyway?

Seriously. This is handwriting. Practice at home! What do you expect a 2nd grade teacher to do for you? Print out double lined paper?

[Anonymous]

If the teacher replied as OP says, it is unacceptable. She sounds young. I was a teacher and I would never have replied in that manner--even if I thought the parent was too demanding. In fact, I would have been thrilled if a parent wanted advice to help at home. However, I do wonder if OP is sharing all of the story........

I have a couple of questions for the OP:

Was this the first discussion with the teacher? Had the teacher said it was in the normal range, etc.?

It also sounds like OP wants more "homework" rather than to just have the kid practice at home. Improvement in handwriting normally takes practice. And, FWIW, I don't think it is taught anymore like it once was.