Writing Difficulty
DYSGRAPHIA AND HOW TO MANAGE HANDWRITING ISSUES IN SCHOOL
Dysgraphia is a neurological condition that affects handwriting, spelling and putting thoughts on paper. It makes collection through the senses very difficult and presents with writing difficulty and clumsy fine motor skills. Effects of this condition can include illegible handwriting, poor spacing between words/letters, missing letters or words and difficulty staying within lines or margins. Students with dysgraphia tend to hold their pencils close to the page and write from the wrist so contorted body positions can be observed.
There are two main ways to manage dysgraphia: remediation that supports writing and then accommodations or modification that can be utilized during work. Often it is a good idea to work on the remediation daily and make it a fun part of their daily routine; this is also something that should be encouraged at home as the school environment isn’t always the most ideal for various exercises or activities.
Remediation- Instruction and assistance with handwriting and activities that can make writing easier. Strengthening hand muscles is a good thing to add in, especially if you can do things that are fun and involve the fingers; don’t forget the core of the body though too! Core muscles of the chest, stomach, back and shoulders all provide stability so the hands can work- anything that strengthens these muscles will also help handwriting. Ideas that can be utilized in the classroom setting or at home can include:
Modifications or Accommodations appropriate for kids with symptoms of dysgraphia- The overall goal of an academic activity should always be considered when attempting to modify work or methods. When a child is being stumped because of the writing process, not the content of work, it might be time to look at ways to accommodation or modify the assignments. Ideas might include:
Finding a balance between understanding the student’s problem and holding them accountable for the best work they are capable of producing is vital for a positive learning environment…it is easy to label a child “lazy” when they have handwriting issues because the effort required can truly be too much for them to manage.
Gifted children or kids who have advanced verbal and thinking skills can struggle with dysgraphia because their brain works too fast for their hands; this is a great time to set them up for dictation and let them re-read what got on the page for editing. There are amazing resources utilizing technology including Google Read & Write, Text to Speech, Dragon and various other tools that are easily accessible for use with computers or phones.
***Keep in mind also that we want to provide a “just right challenge” for writing when it is hard- there will be some days they need a lot more help than others. If we jump in and help or allow for accommodations immediately, we can create opportunities of learned helplessness that will actually prevent the child from believing they CAN write. It is a dance, so make sure they are encouraged to do as much on their own or without the use of another person first because the ultimate goal is independence.
Good luck!
Dysgraphia is a neurological condition that affects handwriting, spelling and putting thoughts on paper. It makes collection through the senses very difficult and presents with writing difficulty and clumsy fine motor skills. Effects of this condition can include illegible handwriting, poor spacing between words/letters, missing letters or words and difficulty staying within lines or margins. Students with dysgraphia tend to hold their pencils close to the page and write from the wrist so contorted body positions can be observed.
There are two main ways to manage dysgraphia: remediation that supports writing and then accommodations or modification that can be utilized during work. Often it is a good idea to work on the remediation daily and make it a fun part of their daily routine; this is also something that should be encouraged at home as the school environment isn’t always the most ideal for various exercises or activities.
Remediation- Instruction and assistance with handwriting and activities that can make writing easier. Strengthening hand muscles is a good thing to add in, especially if you can do things that are fun and involve the fingers; don’t forget the core of the body though too! Core muscles of the chest, stomach, back and shoulders all provide stability so the hands can work- anything that strengthens these muscles will also help handwriting. Ideas that can be utilized in the classroom setting or at home can include:
- Varied positions for writing tasks: lying on stomach, writing at board, utilizing dynamic sitting options
- Do EITHER cursive or manuscript- don’t force them to remember two different ways a letter is formed; they struggle with just one. If they struggle with printing, consider teaching them cursive but don’t demand it. Some kids will do much better with cursive because they don’t have to pick their pencil up as frequently so make sure you still try both methods to see which is easier for them (it may be time to teach them cursive!)
- Feel the letters- Close eyes while you trace a letter on his palm. Then see if he can reproduce that letter on your back or on a piece of paper. Use full arm to make letters in the air (uses kinesthetic input)
- Write big- kids with dysgraphia forget how to form letters correctly so using big body movements increases the kinesthetic awareness of the letters by stimulating the proprioceptive receptors. This goes in different channels for improved memory.
- Use other material- roll clay into ropes and practice making letters with your child; this builds hand strength and reinforces the shapes of letters. Try laying a smooth a layer of clay on a cookie sheet and etch letters into the surface with a pencil. Use shaving cream, damp sand, finger painting etc.
- Practice pinching-strengthen fingers by using clothes pins to hang items, crumple paper and toss at target trash can, pick up items up with tweezers, tongs or chopsticks.
- Build strength and stability- sitting properly and controlling pen and paper require muscle strength and stability in the shoulders and core. Try planks, push-ups, wheelbarrow walking, crab walking, shooting baskets, hanging from monkey bars and rope climbing. Even reading while lying tummy-down on the floor builds strength.
- Cross-body training- both sides of his body need to work together to write. Do activities that coordinates movement on both sides of the body like any two-handed games and cross-body coordination like jumping jacks, and touching alternate toes before sitting down to write.
- Speak it first- kids may have tons of ideas but getting them on the page is hard! Dictation or drawing pictures for organization of these thoughts is a great way to start.
Modifications or Accommodations appropriate for kids with symptoms of dysgraphia- The overall goal of an academic activity should always be considered when attempting to modify work or methods. When a child is being stumped because of the writing process, not the content of work, it might be time to look at ways to accommodation or modify the assignments. Ideas might include:
- Reduce copying of assignments and tests- choose questions that should be answered in full sentences, then allow for answers in phrases or words to prevent fatigue
- Give shorter written assignments
- Grade assignments based on what is being evaluated: spelling errors should not be handwriting errors etc.
- Grade assignments on the individual elements within writing process- make one assignment focus on grammar, the next on spelling, the following on sentence structure (especially during the draft writing phase, this can be a great way to get a student to turn in work before the final product is due).
- Create frequent due dates to help with completion of the process of writing (again, phases of writing that are more formal but won’t affect the grade rather assist in the process of writing)
- Allow additional time for note taking, copying and tests
- provide student with outline so they can fill in details under major headings instead of taking notes
- Allow abbreviations for writing notes or assignments
- Dictate or scribe (see apps below that can be helpful) word processor and/or speech recognition software
- Try different line width on paper so writing can be bigger
- Utilize graph paper for math to help line up columns
- Give positive feedback for trying or extra writing beyond what was modified for ***
- Provide 2 grades on a page: one for content and one for legibility/neatness
Finding a balance between understanding the student’s problem and holding them accountable for the best work they are capable of producing is vital for a positive learning environment…it is easy to label a child “lazy” when they have handwriting issues because the effort required can truly be too much for them to manage.
Gifted children or kids who have advanced verbal and thinking skills can struggle with dysgraphia because their brain works too fast for their hands; this is a great time to set them up for dictation and let them re-read what got on the page for editing. There are amazing resources utilizing technology including Google Read & Write, Text to Speech, Dragon and various other tools that are easily accessible for use with computers or phones.
***Keep in mind also that we want to provide a “just right challenge” for writing when it is hard- there will be some days they need a lot more help than others. If we jump in and help or allow for accommodations immediately, we can create opportunities of learned helplessness that will actually prevent the child from believing they CAN write. It is a dance, so make sure they are encouraged to do as much on their own or without the use of another person first because the ultimate goal is independence.
Good luck!