![]() It’s not always without tears, but it’s one of the more effective tools we’ve used. We have really enjoyed using the Handwriting Without Tears series to learn cursive. Cursive has allowed us the opportunity to teach our son a new way of writing that will move with him into adulthood. We take our time, go slowly and help him every step of the way. Since the school never taught cursive it is new, fresh and without any bad habits to address. This gave him a few years of developing ineffective coping mechanisms that make his struggles worse when trying to print. One of the issues we discovered is that our concerns around our son’s writing struggles were not addressed early. It amazes me how much time he will happily put into these videos and I love the depth of knowledge he can convey in his films. When it’s all finished he does a presentation and shows off his video. Then he needs to upload all of his videos, stitch them together, edit them, add credits, music and even subtitles. He needs to plan his scenes, script them (usually this is done in his head, although sometimes he will jot down a few words spontaneously!), light his scenes, film them. It is a very complex process, much like writing a report. Instead of writing a report on a subject, I ask him to produce a video. This is a favourite of my son’s for his classroom work. So asking them to verbalize their knowledge can be very eye opening. One common situation faced by many kids with dysgraphia is that they put so much effort into writing that they struggle to convey the depth of their understanding and knowledge. These answers can be recorded by a note taker, a recording device, speech recognition software or even video taped. Instead of writing out answers on a worksheet, have the child read the questions and provide the answers orally. We also scribe for him as needed, or use online programs. To work on this, we have used large graph paper with some success. The process of handwriting is used in far more than just writing. It has lead to a great deal of struggle in math, which is likely not something many people realize comes with Dysgraphia. Everything from shaping the numbers so they are legible, to aligning the numbers to solve a problem are HUGE issues. One of the things that surprised me about educating someone with Dysgraphia was how much they struggled with math. Things like speech recognition software, spelling and grammar checkers, and even portable word processors like the AlphaSmart which my son used while in school. But in a quick nutshell, look for tech that makes writing easier. There are so many different assistive technology writing tools that I created a whole post dedicated to the subject. In fact, my son likes to challenge himself to see what methods are fastest for him to type. It’s set up like a game and I don’t pressure my boys to have perfect hand position. ![]() For more serious training and practice, we enjoy Typing Instructor Platinum for Kids. Dance Mat is a good free tool to get started. Although it can be hard with little hands, you can find smaller keyboards and still teach elementary aged students to type. Most students struggling with dysgraphia find typing easier than writing. I hope this list provides you with some ideas on how to help children you are teaching who are struggling with dysgraphia. We’ve been working on accommodations for dysgraphia in the elementary grades for approximately 7 years now, and we’ve found a few winners. Dysgraphia accommodations can help these children shine in the classroom.ĭisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links To help students excel despite dysgraphia we need to remove that mask and allow these children to demonstrate their knowledge in new and unique ways. This is especially true in a classroom environment where so much of the assessment and evaluation is based on the ability to write out knowledge and comprehension of a subject. One of the greatest struggles for those with dysgraphia is that it masks a person’s true abilities and knowledge. Dysgraphia Accommodations That Promote Learning and Excellence ![]()
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