1. Sharon Vaughn Candace S. Bos
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Strategies for Teaching Students with Learning and Behavior Problems Eighth Edition
Sharon Vaughn
Candace S. Bos

2. Chapter 9 Assessing and Teaching Writing and Spelling
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3. What are the characteristics of students with handwriting problems?
Focus Questions 3
What are the characteristics of students with handwriting problems?
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4. Handwriting Problems
Dysgraphia is a written-language disorder that involves mechanical writing skill
It manifests itself in poor writing performance
It is seen in students of at least average intelligence who do not have a neurological disability and/or perceptual-motor handicap
It can occur alone or in the presence of other disabilities
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5. Symptoms of Letter Formation Seen in Dysgraphia
Poor formation
Too large, too small, or inconsistent
Incorrect use of capital and lowercase letters
Crowded or cramped
Inconsistent spacing
Incorrect alignment
Incorrect or inconsistent slant
Lack of fluency
Slow pace even when asked to write quickly
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6. causes writing fatigue
What dysgraphia is...
a processing problem
difficulty in automatically remembering and mastering the sequence of muscle motor movements needed in writing
causes writing fatigue
interferes with communication of ideas in writing
contributes to poor organization on the line and on the page
out of harmony with the person's intelligence
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7. What dysgraphia is not ... laziness not trying not caring
sloppy writing
general sloppiness
careless writing
visual-motor delay
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8. Example of dysgraphic handwriting:
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9. Example of a dysgraphic's bumpy ride with writing:
Dysgraphia does not have to limit creativity, as identified by the sample below composed on a computer by a 12-year-old dyslexic and dysgraphic student.
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10. How is Dysgraphia Treated?
First, an evaluation by an occupational therapist is often warranted, to determine if there are specific exercises and strategies a child can do in order to strengthen fine motor skills necessary for writing. Second, parents should work closely with their child's school to determine appropriate accommodations. The goal of accommodations is to ensure that the process of writing does not interfere with a child's ability to learn, or to show what he/she has learned.
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11. Some examples of common accommodations include:
Limiting the copying aspect of work (i.e., no copying sentences or math problems from the chalkboard or from a book). Allowing students to be tested orally (i.e., simply say their answer to the teacher, rather than writing it out). Not grading for spelling errors, accept on spelling tests and assignments specifically assigned for spelling. Allowing students to dictate book reports into a tape recorder, or to their parents for typing. Teaching students to type as early as possible, so that they can type papers instead of writing them by hand. If assignments must be written, allowing students to use abbreviations or to respond in a shortened manner (i.e., making lists versus writing out complete sentences). Finally, older students may need extra assistance in learning how to to organize their thoughts for papers and essays. This may include brainstorming ideas, learning to group similar ideas, identifying appropriate sequencing of ideas, and mastering skills of proofing and correcting their written work.
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