What is Dysgraphia? Will it Affect Handwriting Skills?

Dysgraphia and Handwriting Skills 

• Dys indicates an impairment, graph refers to producing letters form by hands, ia refers to having a condition
• Dysgraphia is a learning disability which impairs:
  • A child’s spelling ability
  • Handwriting abilities
  • Difficulty choosing proper words to use in sentences
  • Children may have only impaired handwriting, only impaired spelling , or both impairments combined

• The cause of dysgraphia is unknown but:
  • Children may have difficulty planning sequential finger movement
  • Orthographic coding which refers to the ability to store written words in the working memory while the letters in the word are analyzed OR  the ability to create permanent memory of written words linked to their pronunciation or meaning
  • In adults it is usually caused by damage associated to the parietal lobe

• 5 types
  1. Dyslexic Dysgraphia
  2. Motor Dysgraphia
  3. Phonological Dysgraphia
  4. Spatial Dysgraphi
  5. Lexical Dysgraphia

• Dysgraphia Symptoms
  • Not using correct words in sentences
  • Misuse of lines and margins
  • Incorrect spelling/spacing between words
  • Poor/unreadable handwriting
  • Incorrect use of capitals
  • Tight grip while writing
  • Feeling tired after writing short sentences
  • Inconsistent letter shapes
  • Avoids writing
  • And more

• Activities to Assist your Child
  • Practice writing letters in different ways (shaving cream, using clay, in flour, pudding, etc)
  • Dot-to-dot activities
  • Completing line mazes/puzzles
  • Stringing beads
  • Tracing letters
  • Finger painting
  • Stacking blocks/legos/pegs
  • Cutting/gluing
  • Weighted pencils
  • Using paper with raised tactile cues
  • Vibrating pens
  • Pencil grips
  • And more

• Hand  Strengthening Activities 
  • Theraputty/play-dough
  • Using tongs
  • Squeezing a small ball/clothespins
  • Popping bubble wrap
  • Squeezing a wet sponge
  • Crumbling paper

Dysgraphia Writing Tools

Pencil Grips

• An ergonomic writing aid to assist with pencil grip and handwriting

 

Slant Boards

• Allows your child’s wrist to extend while the fingers flex and naturally fall into a better writing position

 

Raised Line and Highlighted Paper 

• This paper has a rough surface along the lines to provide tactile cues that can help your child stay within the lines
• The lower half of the highlighted writing area (below the dotted line) is highlighted, indicating how high the lowercase letters should go

         

Suwimut Montessori Letter Formation Sand Tray

• Fun way to practice handwriting skills

 

 

 

Magnatab A to Z Lowercase Learning

• Comes with an upper case version as well
• Use the directional arrows and trace each letter with the magnetic stylus
• Erases with the tip of your finger, or by swiping across the beads with the side of the stylus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dysgraphia Papers For Kids

• 108 papers where your child will trace and learn the letters of the alphabet

 

* Each resource name is hyperlinked with a website to purchase each item!