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