In one of our last posts about learning disabilities, our main focus was on Dyslexia, how it affects children, and accommodations in the classroom to help the children that need it.
Today’s post is taking a turn to another learning disability in children known as dysgraphia.
Dysgraphia is a word referring to people that struggle with writing. Numerous specialists see dysgraphia as adversities together with a set of skills called transcription.
We produce writing through these skills that include handwriting, typing, and spelling.
Dysgraphia traits could be mistaken sometimes as trouble properly expressing one’s thoughts in writing.
This is a different learning disability know as written expression disorder. However, when people wrestle with transcription, it could get retard thinking and forming ideas and also how to convey them.
Children with dysgraphia could write slower than others. It could affect how well the children express themselves through writing.
In addition, they tend to have issues with spelling because the formation of letters could be hard for them when they write.
How to help children with dysgraphia
Students with dysgraphia can have trouble with handwriting, typing, and spelling.
What classroom accommodations can help? Here are some ways teachers can make all aspects of writing easier.
Classroom materials and routines
- Provision of different types of pencil grips or different types of pens or pencils to know the most suitable for the student
- Provision of handouts so a limit to copying from the board is done
- Provision of copies of classroom notes or lesson outlines typed with the intention of helping students take notes
- Provision of more time in note-taking and for copying material
- Allowance of students to use audio recorders or laptops in class
5 ways in giving instructions
- Provision of a rubric and adequate explanation of how each step is graded
- Offer examples of the finished assignments
- Teachers should give a variety of options to written responses, just like giving an oral report
- Provision of information needed for starting writing assignments promptly
- Teachers should assist the student in breaking down their writing assignments into simple steps
5 steps in completing tests and assignments
- Adaptation of test formats should cut down on handwriting. For example, teachers can implore the tactic of “circle the answer” or “fill in the blank” to answer questions
- Grading should be based on what the student knows, and not based on handwriting or spelling
- Initiation of the use of scribe or speech-to-text so the student will be able to dictate their test answers and writing assignments
- Provision of more time on tests
- Provision of a quiet room for tests if the need be
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