What is Dysgraphia?

Dysgraphia is a disorder of written expression and fine motor skills. Children with dysgraphia may present with slow, labored, sloppy handwriting. They may also struggle with spelling, capitalization, spacing of words and letters, and uniformity with letter size. Oftentimes, children with dysgraphia are unable to produce written work that is typical for their grade level despite knowing the content. If you are the parent or a teacher of a student with dysgraphia here are some ways to support them in learning handwriting skills.

Accommodations for Students with Dysgraphia in the Classroom

Teachers with students with dysgraphia should explore the following adaptations in the classroom. 

• Shorter writing assignments to demonstrate knowledge of subject matter
• Use of a computer to type homework and/or classwork
• Use of a voice-to-dictation program
• An option to record the teacher’s lectures
• Video or audio reports instead of written homework assignments
• Oral instead of written exams

Supporting Students at Home with Pencil and Paper Activities

For parents of children with dysgraphia, here are some recommendations for supporting your young learner at home. 

• Always use a sharp or mechanical pencil. Dull pencils produce sloppier strokes and cause some children to push too firmly on the paper.
• Consider a pencil grip (The Pencil Grip is the one I’d suggest) or build up the pencil by wrapping a large rubber band tightly around the area of the pencil where it is held
• Use a slant board (a 3 inch 3-ring binder works well) for all written work. This will provide visual and arm support during writing.
• Work on finger dexterity activities like placing pennies in a bank, manipulating coins from the palm of the hand to the finger-tips, stacking coins etc. These types of activities will improve in-hand manipulation skills to positively impact how Paul holds and uses writing utensils.

Occupational Therapy

When handwriting is hard and children struggle with written expression, working with a pediatric occupational therapist can help. Occupational Therapists help children learn how to form their letters properly, build hand strength, improve fine motor skills and help improve eye hand coordination. Additionally, occupational therapists can provide parents and teachers with individualized recommendations like pencil grips, slant boards, and other accommodations to help children with dysgraphia.

Letter Leaders Handwriting Workbooks for Additional Support

The Letter Leaders handwriting program is an excellent tool to help children with dysgraphia improve their handwriting skills. Using the Letter Leaders workbooks will help students learn proper letter formation and with practice improve speed, uniformity of size and spacing of letters and words. Try the Letter Leaders program today to help support children who are struggling with dysgraphia improve their letter formation and handwriting skills.