Are children expected to be able to write their name before starting school??

[blessedatlast]

Are children expected to be able to write their name before starting school?? DSS starts prep next year and still can't write or spell his name.. Although we are working on it.. (He can copy it, if I write it he can write underneath) Is it expected and could your children??..

[mrsmac]

As a teacher of kindergarten (prep) I would expect them to be able to but it wouldn't be a big drama if they couldn't! They learn so much in the first year of school.
Its much worse if they write thier name incorrectly (ie. in capitals or in the wrong script) than if they can't write it at all.

[blessedatlast]

Oh whoops.. I have only ever written his name in capitals.. I don't know why.. Will start writing it correctly from now on..

[AliBaby]

Exactly what Mrs Mac said

[mrsmac]

Please also look up your state's writing style too!

[blessedatlast]

State's writing style?? What the?? Don't you just write their name anymore?? Sorry I am confused.. Please point me in the right direction?? lol I am in QLD

[Oorki Galoorki]

surely in the first year all that matters is print??

i have found it quite hard to teach DS NOT to use a capital at the beginning of his name..

[MantaRay]

Here we have been encouraged by kindy to use a capital for the first letter and lowercase for the rest. The information from the schools seems to follow suit.

By style, does that mean things like whether you put a cap on the J or not? J's kindy teachers and OT seem to encourage it, whereas when I went to school (in Vic) we didn't do that.

One thing we have picked up from J's OT is that kids who are able to write at kindy (that's QLD kindy, so the year before school starts) tend to not form letters properly so they need to relearn it at school anyway.

In QLD, prep is a non-curriculm year - so they don't even need to be able read or write a letter by the time they finish prep. So I wouldn't be too worried about whether they can before prep. At Jack's kindy most of them seem to be able to, but some can't.

[luna moth]

Every state has their own handwriting style that they teach. Most are quite similar, but there are silly little differences between them (I call them silly because I have moved interstate twice, and I think it could do dreadfult hings to a child's SE to be told that their style was wrong.
Schools generally show interest in whether or not a child can write their name; it's a reasonable indicator of where they're at, but it's not really a big deal if they can't. Some kids just aren't interested.

I've dealt with a few schools that insist children be able to write draw in pencil (not texta) as they develop the motor skills needed to control their writing implements better when they do this.

Names should be started with a capital letter, then the rest in lower case. It's how they're written/typed, so why start teaching any other way? But, they shouldn't be writing all in capitals. Lots of parents encourage it; capital letters have more straight lines so are perceived as being easier, but it's incorrect. Similarly, all text that children are exposed to should be printed correctly. I get on big soapbox rants when I see signage in kinders/c'cares that is all in caps, because it is such a bad example. The reason we don't write all in caps is that the eyes actually can't read it as fast, because all the letters are the same height and shapes aren't as easily differentiated.
So, um, maybe that doesn't answer your question. But I feel better for having ranted

[Emma1979]

i would have thought maybe kids would be writing their name by school.... but if they're not then they will learn it, so no biggie.
its not hard to teach, we started with an etch-a-sketch.... she has been able to write her name for a couple of months now, and she is 2.5, or a bit more than 2.5, does 2.8 make sense?..... although we haven't done it in a while so i am assuming she still can...

[Tan2705]

I taught Prep for two years before having DS and Preschool for several before that. I liked my students to be able to write their name but it's not prerequisite.

Your DS can copy his name so that's a great start. From there you can always try alternative ways of writing it: in sand with a stick or with a paint brush and water on cement. Just funs ways to help it sink in.....

Try to make sure he is aware of what he is copying, some children can copy writing until the cows come home but if they aren't aware of what they have written than I see little point. You can encourage this by getting him to type his name on the computer finding the letters himself, scourring through magazines looking for letters that are the same as in his name (cut them out and paste) or by making the letters with playdough so he starts to understand how they are formed - talk about curves, straight line etc..

Do a search for QLD Beginners Font, you will find some examples and best of luck with preparing your DS for prep!

[Traveller]

I am now slightly concerned. I hope that DS1 will be starting prep in Vic this January (depending on whether we make the move so soon or not) but as he has already had 6 months on P1 schooling in Scotland he already writes his own name (with first letter capital) as well as knowing all his letters and being able to write them. Is he going to be at a disadvantage in that he will have to unlearn what he knows and start again from scratch?

[Rouge]

Not at all Traveller. Our writing/reading curriculum head told us that often nearly every child (unless they are a following sibling) will have to relearn, because most children are taught to write a certain way at home and unless you're a teacher or have been through it all before it's not like you are going to know. I remember doing writing here in vic over 20 years ago and it is very different now to what it was then. If he was in an older year (ie. 3 onwards) it might be hard, but at prep level it's fine.

[Patooties]

Blessed - it's not imperative that your dss be able to write his name before he starts Prep. They will help him at school. It's great that he is copying the letters, shows that his fine motor skills and hand eye coordination are developing nicely.

For me personally, when my children are first starting out writing, I don't correct their letter formation. If they are enjoying themselves and feeling a sense of achievement seeing letters they have written themselves, I don't like to tell them what they've done is incorrect. They will learn it in school.

Perhaps you could spend a bit of time helping to be able to recognise his name. Write a few names on cards, and let him point to his name. (Will come in handy if someone has the same lunchbox as him )

[blessedatlast]

Thanks for your replies.. DSS can recognise his name and recognise the letters in his name randomly but when asked to write his name he isn't sure what to write unless it is in front of him.. If he has the alphabet in front of him he writes the letters in his name but not in order.. Anyway it's good he is on the right track, I just didn't want him to start school and be a bit behind IYKWIM.. I am sure he will be fine though

[Floweryfields]

State's writing style?? What the?? Don't you just write their name anymore?? Sorry I am confused.. Please point me in the right direction?? lol I am in QLD

Qld uses beginners alphabet - you can google it and get the font free.
It is pretty important if you are going to do anything with teaching that you do it the right way - so yes, the right style, and capital only for the first letter, lowercase for the rest. And it's also a good idea to write your child's name on the top left of pages as this is how we write - from top to bottom, left to right.

[blessedatlast]

I am so proud!!! DSS can write his name on his own, my name and dad.. Pretty good considering I was worried a month ago hey!! He is learning SO FAST!! I am just so proud!! Oh I said that already lol

[mrsmac]

You will be stunned how quickly he learns once he gets to school too! My class amazed me last year with how much they knew after only a few weeks.