Unit 5 - Writing Disabilities

Prepared by: Cicilia Evi GradDiplSc., M. Psi

Brief Introduction

• 3 major areas of written expression handwriting, spelling, composition

• Dysgraphia written language disorder that concerns with mechanical writing skills manifest in poor writing performance

• Characteristics of students with dysgraphia p. 408

Writing Problems (WP)

• Letter formation malformations, poor spacing, extremely slow writing– Far-point copying & near-point copying– Reversal errors common when children are first

learning to read and write• Fluency so slow, seems to draw each letter• Poor handwriting can cause lack of spelling

skills due to eligibility and speed of writing

Near-point Copying

Assessment on WP

• No need of formal assessment • Examine students’ writing and identify parts

that need further instructional work • Point of copying far or near • P. 412 table 13.1

Monitoring the Progress of WP

• Curriculum-based assessments designed to evaluate performance in the particular curriculum to which the students are exposed

• Probing from teachers ask students to write in specific period of time score the results

• Self-evaluation improves the quality of handwriting using plastic overlays showing the correct form of the letters

Intervention for WP

• Manuscript or cursive ????• Teacher modeling and student practice p.

413• Reinforcement effective for ‘near cure’

oriented • Self-instruction training part of CBT self-

guiding statement and self-correction procedure

Can you read it?

Spelling Problem (SP)

• Spelling error through spelling test, dictation• Read p. 417 characteristics • Effects :– Hamper handwriting and vice versa

Assessment of SP

• Basic methods (p. 418):– Dictation – connected writing – recognition

• Standardized assessments

Intervention for SP

• Effective VS less effective spelling instructional practice p. 422

• Remedial intervention p. 425• Effective Teaching Procedures – Test – Study – Test– Practice Procedure– Time Delay– Morphographic Spelling– Add-a-Word

Composition Problems (CP)

• Read characteristics on p. 428-429• Fig 13.4 p. 429• Assessment :– Screening difficult– Planning Composition Instruction – Monitoring regular evaluation on students’

composition samples

Intervention for CP

• Expression OR traditional aspects of writing??• Developmental intervention:– Label cut-out pictures and put in their books– Then, writing one sentence about the picture– Followed by two-sentence descriptions– Three-sentence or longer descriptions – Write thematically

• Basic for instruction p. 435

Intervention for CP (2)

• Six principle to prevent and address writing difficulties p. 435 and table 13.3

• Remedial intervention expressive writing • Effective teaching procedure:– Self-regulated strategy development p. 438– Learning Strategy Interventions – Explicit teaching of steps in writing process – Explicit teaching on the conventions of a writing

genre