Ladies,
I'll just chime in to let you know that at the 3rd/4th grade age when the writing level rises, boys especially will balk at the upped requirements. We all know they CAN do it, but they really would rather not. So, it takes perserverance and consistency to move those little guys into routine daily writing. The HOD guides schedule the writing in bite-sized increments, but boys will balk at the increasing level hoping they can opt out of it in this way.
Much of my public school teaching days were within the third/fourth grade years, and it is a VERY common occurrence (so much so that it can be like clock-work). So, if you happen to have a little guy who enjoys copywork or writing assignments, you are in the minority!
However, the good news is that this particular stage is also a HUGE growth stage. By the end of the year, little guys will have made tremendous progress in reading, writing, and math. For some little guys it takes 2 years to hit their stride, but usually by the end of 4th grade they have really come along.
So, I say this to let you know that consistency, perserverance, and patience are the winners here. Take a lot of deep breaths and be firm. Make sure to keep the Rod and Staff assigned written portions VERY SHORT too. That helps a lot!
We do set the timer at our house, when my boys dawdle, and then set aside the work for evening if it's not completed within the given time. I do adjust the timer to reflect the length of the assignment. My hubby enforces the set aside work in the evening by having the child complete it when they could be playing. In this way, they don't get behind with their next subjects during the day (throwing everyone's schedule off), and I'm not fighting with them to finish, while all the time getting behind in moving on with everyone else.
Blessings,
Carrie
