What is dysgraphia?

At its broadest definition, dysgraphia is a disorder of writing ability at any stage, including problems with letter formation/legibility, letter spacing, spelling, fine motor coordination, rate of writing, grammar, and composition.

Impaired handwriting can interfere with learning to spell words in writing and speed of writing text. Children with dysgraphia may have only impaired handwriting, only impaired spelling (without reading problems), or both impaired handwriting and impaired spelling.

A person with dysgraphia may write their letters in reverse, have trouble recalling how letters are formed, or when to use lower or upper case letters. A person with dysgraphia may also struggle to form written sentences with correct grammar and punctuation, with common problems including omitting words, words ordered incorrectly, incorrect verb and pronoun usage and word ending errors. People with dysgraphia may speak more easily and fluently than they write.

What support might look like in school

Initially, children with impaired handwriting benefit from activities that support learning to form letters:

• playing with clay or putty to strengthen hand muscles
• keeping lines within mazes to develop motor control
• connecting dots or dashes to create complete letter forms
• tracing letters with index finger or eraser end of pencil
• imitating the teacher modelling sequential strokes in letter formation
• copying letters from models
• having alphabet strips on desk to show correct formation
• using ICT to support learning, particularly the use of Clicker or Word for extended pieces of writing

Support and information for parents and carers

A useful mind map showing supports that can be used at home and at school.

A useful video describing what dysgraphia is and detailing useful supports.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHMHt8cEFSo#action=share