3. Dysgraphia is a learning disability resulting
from the difficulty in expressing thoughts
in writing and graphing.
Feifer’s
4 subtypes of Dysgraphia
4. Phonological:
Writing and spelling disturbances in which
the spelling of unfamiliar words, non-words,
and phonetically irregular words are impaired.
These students tend to have trouble spelling by sounds
and rely on the visual aspect of letters; therefore, because
spelling is an auditory task, they will have trouble with spelling
tests.
5. Surface:
Students have trouble with orthographic representations
of words, which makes the student rely too heavily on sound
patterns; the opposite of phonological dysgraphia.
6. Mixed:
Students having trouble with mixing up letter formations and
having trouble with spelling tasks, a combination of the first two
types. Recalling letter formations is hard for
these students to do because there are so many instructions or
rules that they get confused and; therefore, have inconsistent
spellings
of words.
8. An example of a second grade student’s handwriting with dysgraphia.
9. A second grade student’s handwriting who does not have a disability.
10. What Teachers Should Know
Regardless of their reading ability, people
with dysgraphia have difficulty writing, and
may have problems with spelling, writing
legibly, or putting their thoughts on paper.
11. Kids and teens with dysgraphia may
have:
poor fine-motor skills
visual-spacial difficulties
language-processing deficits
12. Students with dysgraphia may:
• frequently misspell words or incorrectly
place words on a page
• have an exceptionally slow and difficult
time writing
• have an awkward pencil grip
13. • have messy or illegible handwriting
• have trouble taking notes or tests or
completing their schoolwork
• avoid writing and become extremely
frustrated with schoolwork
14. What Teachers Can Do
If you think a student might have
dysgraphia, recommend seeking an
educational evaluation to a parent or
guardian, an administrator, or a school
counselor.
15. • Writing is one of the most important keys
to academic success. Give students with
dysgraphia plenty of extra time to practice
their writing skills. Teach them how to
organize their thoughts and encourage
them to edit and proofread their work.
16. If students continue to struggle with
handwriting, try:
• using graph paper, wide-ruled paper, or
paper with raised lines
• allowing students with dysgraphia to
choose the writing utensils they are most
comfortable with
17. • making sure the pencil is properly
positioned, using a tripod grasp, which
means the pencil should rest near the
base of the thumb and be held in place
with the thumb, index, and middle fingers
(certain kinds of pencil grips can be
helpful, too)
• modifying the writing utensil grip as
needed
• recommending occupational therapy to
help with writing skills
18. Additional accommodations may be
necessary, including:
• giving more time to complete tests and
written assignments
• allowing for oral and visual assessments
of knowledge
• using assistive technology, such as word
processing and note-taking software
21. Determine to see a Mistake as . . .
• An opportunity to improve.
• A challenge to overcome.
• A reason to seek help or information
22. Mistakes . . .
That writers commonly
make . . . can be
corrected if you . . .
• Stop telling yourself you can’t
write or that you’re a bad
writer and . . .
• Start noticing the mistakes
and
• Start working to correct them.
