Case Study: How One Boy Found His Love for Writing Through Dinosaurs
At first, writing was this little boy’s biggest struggle - and he made sure everyone knew it. During phonics carpet sessions, he would throw his whiteboard to the floor or pretend his marker was out of ink. Some days, his hand hurt. Other days, a sudden headache or an urgent need to visit the toilet became his way of avoiding writing altogether.
It didn’t take long for me to realise there was something deeper behind these outbursts and excuses. This wasn’t defiance - it was fear. He lacked confidence, and what’s more, he felt embarrassed in front of his friends. Writing wasn’t just hard for him - it made him feel exposed and vulnerable. I also noticed he struggled with his grip and letter formation, and this physical challenge made him want to give up before he even started. But every child has something that sparks their passion - and for him, it was dinosaurs. His eyes would light up whenever the conversation turned to T-Rexes, Triceratops, or Velociraptors. That was my way in!
We began working one-to-one to create a safe space where he could take risks without fear of judgment. I used his love of dinosaurs as the hook to build his confidence and skills. Here are some of the strategies we used:
Dinosaur tracing games: He traced the shapes of his favourite dinosaurs, which helped him practise pencil control and hand movements in a fun, pressure-free way.
Sensory writing: Before introducing pencils, we practised forming letters using sand, shaving foam, and playdough. He even shaped letters with dinosaur footprints in kinetic sand—it didn’t feel like writing, but it built the muscle memory he needed.
Dino roars for sounds: To practise phonics, he’d “roar” out each sound like a dinosaur before writing it down. This made phonics sessions exciting rather than stressful.
Dino fact writing: As his confidence grew, we wrote simple facts about his favourite dinosaurs together, starting with short CVC words (big, red, run) and building up to full sentences like ‘The T-Rex is big.’
Letter formation through movement: He used his whole body to ‘draw’ giant letter shapes in the air, helping him connect movement with memory before putting pen to paper.
I also worked closely with his parents to create a plan that supported his progress at home. We focused on practising his grip, strengthening his hand muscles with fun activities like playdough squeezing and cutting shapes. Slowly but surely, things started to change. One day, he wrote his first full sentence without any help. His smile said it all - he was proud of himself for the first time.
Soon after, he no longer needed encouragement to write. In fact, he didn’t want to stop. He spent more and more time at the writing table, choosing it over playtime. Writing, once his greatest fear, had become his new joy. And then came a truly magical moment. I took him down the corridor to share his fantastic work with the Year 1 teacher. She celebrated his achievement in front of her class, and the applause he received was a moment of pure pride. His face lit up - it was a victory not just in writing, but in confidence, determination, and resilience.
Watching this little boy’s journey unfold was a powerful reminder that with the right support, patience, and a little creativity, every child can learn to love writing.
If your child finds reading or writing challenging, let’s work together to boost their confidence and spark their love for learning. I’m here to guide and support them every step of the way!
