| When thinking about dysgraphia, people | | | | computer or word processor available for |
| usually don't think of it as a learning | | | | these kids, and that is good if the |
| disability. Writing is just difficult | | | | student knows how to type. Believe me, |
| for my child. Or, my child has poor | | | | if they have a hard time writing, they |
| handwriting, but so do doctors. Yet, | | | | almost always have a hard time typing. I |
| dysgraphia is real and the sooner that | | | | can't begin to tell you how many IEP' s |
| we consider it a learning problem and | | | | have a word processor written into them |
| deal with it as such, the sooner we can | | | | and the word processor sits in the |
| deal with it in a positive manner. | | | | closet. Why? Because the kid doesn't |
| Dysgraphia by definition is a learning | | | | know how to type, and it is more |
| disability resulting from the difficulty | | | | difficult to learn to type than it is to |
| in expressing thoughts in writing and | | | | learn to write. Another modification |
| graphing. It generally refers to | | | | that can help at first is to assign a |
| extremely poor handwriting. Since the | | | | "secretary" to the student. This is a |
| handwriting is so poor and difficult for | | | | classmate who can write for him on some |
| the student to perform, is the learning | | | | assignments - just until his writing |
| disability a result of the handwriting, | | | | improves. Perhaps just for science of |
| or are they not connected? I have found | | | | social studies. We don't want to give |
| that working on the student's | | | | these kids crutches. We want to give |
| handwriting first and then working on | | | | them tools. |
| the mechanics of writing is the most | | | | There are many more modifications, but |
| successful method of dealing with this | | | | let's move on to actually dealing with |
| disability. | | | | dysgraphia and methods for life success. |
| Most students who have learning problems | | | | The first thing I do is have them switch |
| or learning disabilities also have | | | | to cursive. I don't care what grade the |
| dysgraphia. These kids usually have | | | | student is in. First graders can do |
| sequencing and perceptual problems as | | | | cursive just fine. Seventh graders can |
| well as poor fine motor skills and poor | | | | learn cursive. There is a reason for |
| eye/hand coordination. If you are in | | | | this. Cursive flows. Manuscript does |
| your 40's as I am you will recall that | | | | not. These kids have a lot of things |
| there were very few kids in our day with | | | | going on in their minds, and their hands |
| poor handwriting. It just wasn't | | | | cannot keep up with their thoughts. Ask |
| allowed. The teachers literally beat it | | | | them about it. They will say it's true. |
| into us one way or another. When we | | | | So, the first step in this journey is to |
| loosened our standards on the kids as | | | | have them switch to cursive. When |
| far as handwriting goes, it seemed to | | | | switching to cursive, I have the student |
| open a Pandora's Box. Students now have | | | | perform strokes on lined paper. Circles, |
| terrible handwriting, and nobody does | | | | arches, loops, and curves all can be |
| anything about it. Should we go back to | | | | done. I will make a line of strokes and |
| "beating" this into the kids again? No, | | | | have the student copy it. This works |
| I don't think so. But, we certainly need | | | | even better if done to slow music, such |
| to spend the time on these kids to make | | | | as classical. Each cursive stroke needs |
| handwriting easy and legible. We need to | | | | to be taught and practiced until all are |
| lessen one more obstacle in their paths, | | | | learned and the student is comfortable |
| as they are up against so much. | | | | with them. There are many cursive |
| Unfortunately, a teacher makes a | | | | writing programs available. I also use |
| judgment on every paper that crosses her | | | | the magic eights activity using the |
| desk. I know, as I have been a teacher | | | | cursive letters. In a very little amount |
| for a long time. Don't we just love | | | | of time these kids are learning to make |
| those papers from those little girls | | | | cursive letters. |
| where the cursive is flowing, the | | | | Next, I move on to dictation. I am |
| writing is legible, the words are | | | | taking a step out of the process for |
| spelled correctly, and everything makes | | | | them. I will give them paper with lines. |
| sense. It is easy to put an A grade on | | | | I will start with basic sentences that I |
| this paper. Throw in a paper from a | | | | will read aloud orally as many times as |
| little guy with learning problems and | | | | necessary. How basic I start depends on |
| dysgraphia, and A's are hard to give | | | | the level of the student. A fifth grader |
| out. The content may even be better than | | | | will get a more difficult sentence than |
| the other girl's paper, but by the time | | | | a first grader. I will call off several |
| the teacher is done trying to decipher | | | | sentences and have the student write the |
| what is being said on the page, she is | | | | sentences using a color marker, pen, or |
| exhausted. Compare it to the other paper | | | | pencil. There are now erasable color |
| and it is easy to see why one paper gets | | | | pencils that work great, but many times |
| an A and the other gets an F. Some | | | | I just let them use a marker. Color |
| papers may actually deserve a higher | | | | works well in keeping the right-brain |
| grade, but the teacher forms a | | | | dominant student focused. Many of these |
| subjective opinion, especially on | | | | kids are right-brain dominant. Then, I |
| essays. The student with dysgraphia is | | | | will have them go over their sentences |
| up against a lot. | | | | and look for mistakes. I will help them |
| Following is a list of symptoms of | | | | fix any mistakes and we discuss them. |
| dysgraphia: | | | | This process may go on for months, |
| · Exhibits strong verbal skills but | | | | depending on how quickly the student |
| poor writing skills | | | | progresses. When the student is ready to |
| · Punctuation errors that are random or | | | | move on I will then go to paragraphs. I |
| non-existent | | | | usually will make up a paragraph and |
| · Spelling errors | | | | have the student write it after I read |
| · Reversals | | | | it aloud. I will read the paragraph as |
| · Generally illegible writing | | | | many times as necessary. The student |
| · Inconsistencies such as mixtures of | | | | writes the paragraph and corrects any |
| print and cursive or upper and lower | | | | errors as before. |
| case letters | | | | Then, I will give the student a picture |
| · Irregular sizes, shapes, and slants | | | | or a tangible item, such as a teddy |
| of letters | | | | bear. I will have the student write a |
| · Unfinished words or letters and | | | | sentence about it, just describing what |
| omitted words in writing | | | | he sees. The reason for this is simple. |
| · Inconsistent position on the page - | | | | These kids will try to write and their |
| spaces between words and letters - lines | | | | minds are all over the place. They need |
| and margins | | | | training on writing about one thing at a |
| · Cramped or unusual pencil grip | | | | time and writing about just something |
| · Talking to self while writing | | | | they see. The student is instructed to |
| · Slow or labored copying or writing | | | | describe the item. Sometimes these kids |
| So, what do you do to help a student | | | | are at a complete loss for words. But, |
| with dysgraphia? There are many | | | | we must start somewhere. If he writes, |
| modifications that can help in a regular | | | | "The key is gold.", then that is enough. |
| classroom, but we want the student to | | | | They were his own words. He made his own |
| learn to function in our society, and | | | | sentence and that is a start. There is |
| our society won't say, "Gosh, this kid | | | | nothing more frustrating than reading a |
| has dysgraphia. I think I'll hire him | | | | piece of writing that has no focus and |
| and give him a lot of money and then | | | | rambles all over the place. |
| make a lot of modifications for him | | | | I will continue having the student write |
| because of it." No, this isn't how it | | | | sentences about something that is |
| will go, and we all know it. Most job | | | | tangible. I will continue to have the |
| application forms are still handwritten | | | | student correct his errors and we |
| and many places will ask for a hand | | | | discuss them. Slowly, I will add items |
| written letter. Companies want to see if | | | | and finally, I will have him write |
| the potential job candidate can write. | | | | sentences about things that cannot be |
| It is an important skill, and if we make | | | | seen but must be remembered, such as a |
| modifications for the student we never | | | | baseball game. By now the student should |
| correct the problem and we never teach | | | | have the necessary skills to write about |
| him to succeed in society. But, to start | | | | something from memory. |
| with modifications must happen so the | | | | Then, we finally move on to teaching |
| child can initially succeed, but our | | | | writing. We can use idea bubbles and |
| goal should always be to get the student | | | | outlining to plan paragraphs and stories |
| able to function on his own. | | | | before we write. We can learn about |
| The simplest modifications involve | | | | topic sentences and concluding |
| giving more time and shortening the | | | | sentences. But until we get to this |
| assignment given. The student can tell a | | | | point, we must go step by step through |
| story in a tape recorder and then write | | | | the above mentioned processes. It is not |
| the story at his own leisure. Show the | | | | an over night fix. But if done |
| student how to draw a picture for each | | | | correctly, these students end up with |
| thought and then write about each | | | | writing skills that will carry them |
| thought. I always hear about having a | | | | through life. |