Introduction |
| Anchor Video |
| Concept Map |
| Project Calendar |
| Lesson Plans |
Letter to Parents |
| Assessments |
| Resources |
Modifications |
| Grant |
Modification 1, Modification 2, Modification 3
STRATEGIES- for Disgraphia
1. Encourage students to outline their thoughts. It is important to get
the main ideas down on paper without having to struggle with the details
of spelling, punctuation, etc
2. Have students draw a picture of a thought for each paragraph.
3. Have students dictate their ideas into a tape recorder and then listen
and write them down later.
4. Have them practice keyboarding skills. It may be difficult at first,
but after they have learned the pattern of the keys, typing will be faster
and clearer than handwriting.
5. Have a computer available for them to organize information and check
spelling. Even if their keyboarding skills aren't great, a computer can
help with the details.
6. Have them continue practicing handwriting. There will be times throughout
a student's life that they will need to be able to write things down and
maybe even share their handwriting with others. It will continue to improve
as long as the student keeps working at it.
7. Encourage student to talk aloud as they write. This may provide valuable
auditory feedback.
8. Allow more time for written tasks including note-taking, copying, and
tests.
9. Outline the particular demands of the course assignments/continuous
assessment; exams, computer literacy etc. so that likely problems can
be foreseen.
10. Give and allow students to begin projects or assignments early.
11. Include time in the student's schedule for being a 'library assistant'
or 'office assistant' that could also be used for catching up or getting
ahead on written work, or doing alternative activities related to the
material being learned.
12. Instead of having the student write a complete set of notes, provide
a partially completed outline so the student can fill in the details under
major headings (or provide the details and have the student provide the
headings).
13. Allow the student to dictate some assignments or tests (or parts thereof)
a 'scribe'. Train the 'scribe' to write what the student says verbatim
and then allow the student to make changes, without assistance from the
scribe.
14. Remove 'neatness' or 'spelling' (or both) as grading criteria for
some assignments, or design assignments to be evaluated on specific parts
of the writing process.
15. With the students, allow abbreviations in some writing (such as b/c
for because). Have the student develop a repertoire of abbreviations in
a notebook. These will come in handy in future note-taking situations.
16. Reduce copying aspects of work; for example, in Math, provide a worksheet
with the problems already on it instead of having the student copy the
problems.
17. Separate the writing into stages and then teach students to do the
same. Teach the stages of the writing process (brainstorming, drafting,
editing, and proofreading, etc.). Consider grading these stages even on
some 'one-sitting' written exercises, so that points are awarded on a
short essay for brainstorming and a rough draft, as well as the final
product.
18. On a computer, the student can produce a rough draft, copy it, and
then revise the copy, so that both the rough draft and final product can
be evaluated without extra typing.
19. Encourage the student to use a spellchecker and, if possible, have
someone else proofread his work, too. Speaking spellcheckers are recommended,
especially if the student may not be able to recognize the correct word
(headphones are usually included).
20. Allow the student to use cursive or manuscript, whichever is most
legible
21. Encourage primary students to use paper with the raised lines to keep
writing on the line.
22. Allow older students to use the line width of their choice. Keep in
mind that some students use small writing to disguise its messiness or
spelling.
23. Allow students to use paper or writing instruments of different colors.
24. Allow student to use graph paper for math, or to turn lined paper
sideways, to help with lining up columns of numbers.
25. Allow the student to use the writing instrument that is most comfortable
for them.
26. If copying is laborious, allow the student to make some editing marks
rather than recopying the whole thing.
27. Consider whether use of speech recognition software will be helpful.
If the student and teacher are willing to invest time and effort in 'training'
the software to the student's voice and learning to use it, the student
can be freed from the motor processes of writing or keyboarding.
28. Develop cooperative writing projects where different students can
take on roles such as the 'brainstormer,' 'organizer of information,'
'writer,' 'proofreader,' and 'illustrator.'
29. Provide extra structure and use intermittent deadlines for long-term
assignments. Discuss with the student and parents the possibility of enforcing
the due dates by working after school with the teacher in the event a
deadline arrives and the work is not up-to-date.
30. Build handwriting instruction into the student's schedule. The details
and degree of independence will depend on the student's age and attitude,
but many students would like to have better handwriting.
31. Keep in mind that handwriting habits are entrenched early. Before
engaging in a battle over a student's grip or whether they should be writing
in cursive or print, consider whether enforcing a change in habits will
eventually make the writing task a lot easier for the student, or whether
this is a chance for the student to make his or her own choices. Beware
of overload, the student has other tasks and courses.
32. Teach alternative handwriting methods such as "Handwriting Without
Tears." <www.hwtears.com/inro.htm>
33. Writing just one key word or phrase for each paragraph, and then going
back later to fill in the details may be effective.
34. Multisensory techniques should be utilized for teaching both manuscript
and cursive writing. The techniques need to be practiced substantially
so that the letters are fairly automatic before the student is asked to
use these skills to communicate ideas.
35. Have the students use visual graphic organizers. For example, you
can create a mind map so that the main idea is placed in a circle in the
center of the page and supporting facts are written on lines coming out
of the main circle, similar to the arms of a spider or spokes on a wheel.
36. Do papers and assignments in a logical step-wise sequence. An easy
way to remember these steps is to think of the word POWER.
P - plan your paper
O - organize your thoughts and ideas
W - write your draft
E - edit your work
R - revise your work, producing a final draft
37. If a student becomes fatigued have them try the following:
* Shake hands fast, but not violently.
* Rub hands together and focus on the feeling of warmth.
* Rub hands on the carpet in circles (or, if wearing clothing with some
mild texture, rub hands on thighs, close to knees)
* Use the thumb of the dominant hand to click the top of a ballpoint pen
while holding it in that hand. Repeat using the index finger.
* Perform sitting pushups by placing each palm on the chair with fingers
facing forward. Students push down on their hands, lifting their body
slightly off the chair.
38. Allow student to tape record important assignments and/or take oral
tests.
39. Prioritize certain task components during a complex activity. For
example, students can focus on using descriptive words in one assignment,
and in another, focus on using compound sentences.
40. Reinforce the positive aspects of student's efforts.
41. Be patient and encourage student to be patient with himself.
Strategies For Spelling Difficulties:
1. Encourage consistent use of spell checker to decrease the overall demands
of the writing task and encourage students to wait until the end to worry
about spelling.
2. Encourage use of an electronic resource such as the spell check component
in a Franklin Language Master® to further decrease the demands. If
student has concurrent reading problems, a Language Master® with a
speaking component is most helpful because it will read/say the words.
3. Have the student look at each word, then close their eyes and visualize
how it looks, letter by letter.
4. Have the student spell each word out loud while looking at it, then
look away and spell it out loud again several times before writing it
down.
5. Have the students break the spelling list down into manageable sections
of only 3 to 5 words. Then take a break after mastering each section.
6. Have a scrabble board and computer accessible for affected students.
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.
a) First draft of creative story as typed by 12-year-old student:
the way I descride a bumby ride is like wothgan mowtsarts mowsek. eshe
bumby rowd is like a song. Eshe bumb is the a note eche uncon at the sam
time ste is. that was the mewstere to mowts mowsuk it was vare metereus
and unperdekdable.So the next time you drive down a bumby theak of mowtsart.
b) Same story. Student read to teacher using his draft:
"The way I describe a bumpy ride is like Wolfgang Mozart's music.
Each bumpy road is like a song. Each bump in the road is a note. Each
bump is uncontrolled at the same time it still is controlled. That was
the magic to Mozart's music. It was very mysterious and unpredictable.
So the next time you drive down a bumpy road think of Mozart."
Source: http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/dysgraphia.html
Modification: ADD
Teacher Presentation.
• Consult with special education personnel to determine specific
strengths and weaknesses of each student.
• Maintain eye contact during verbal instructions.
• Make directions clear and concise. Be consistent with all daily
instructions.
• When you ask an AD/HD student a question, first say the student's
name and then pause for a few seconds as a signal for him/her to pay attention.
• To help with changes in assignments, provide clear and consistent
transitions between activities and notify the student with AD/HD a few
minutes before changing activities.
• Repeat instructions in a calm, positive manner.
• AD/HD students may need both verbal and visual directions. You
can do this by providing the student with a model of what he/she should
be doing.
• You can give an AD/HD student confidence by starting each assignment
with a few questions or activities you know the student can successfully
accomplish.
• Self-monitoring techniques can prove effective in the school setting.
Self-monitoring of attention involves cueing the student so that he/she
can determine how well he is attending to the task at hand. Cueing is
often done by providing an audio tone.
• Behavior management techniques must often be used in the school.
By examining a child's specific problem behavior, understanding it's antecedents
and consequences, educators can help students with AD/HD develop behaviors
that lead to academic and social success.
• Develop an individualized education program. By identifying each
student's individual strengths and specific learning needs, you can design
a plan for mobilizing those strengths to improve students academic and
social performance.
• Gradually reduce the amount of assistance, but keep in mind that
these students will need more help for a longer period of time than the
student without a disability.
• Require a daily assignment notebook as necessary and make sure
each student correctly writes down all assignments. If a student is not
capable of this, the teacher should help the student.
• Initial the notebook daily to signify completion of homework assignments.
(Parents should also sign.)
• Use the notebook for daily communication with parents.
http://barrier-free.arch.gatech.edu/Research/concepts.html
Modification: Dyslexia
Learning disabilities such as dyslexia can make reading print text difficult
for the student and may require special classroom arrangements. For example,
two routine accommodations are providing books-on-tape and allowing additional
time or alternate formats for exams as for students with other disabilities.
Learning disabilities need not deter students with an interest and ability
in science and engineering. Discussion of the "hidden" learning
disability and strategies of coping with it by college students among
others as well as an extensive listing of resources are included in Succeeding
Against the Odds-Strategies and Insights from the Learning Disabled. The
National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) also offers information,
referral, advocacy, and outreach for individuals with learning disabilities.
http://barrier-free.arch.gatech.edu/Research/concepts.html