Hosted by the Texas Partners Resource Network, this webinar is for parents seeking a better understanding of the difficulties children may experience in learning to write. In the first part of the presentation, we distinguish three forms of dysgraphia: 1) difficulty learning to spell; 2) difficulty with the motor aspects of writing, leading to slow, effortful writing that often borders on illegible; and 3) difficulty with composition—that is, difficulty in organizing and expressing thoughts coherently in writing. These forms of dysgraphia may or may not occur together, and may or may not be associated with reading difficulty. In the second part of the presentation, we look in greater detail at spelling difficulties. We describe the cognitive processes required for spelling, and the knowledge these processes draw upon. Difficulty learning any of the required knowledge or processes will lead to impaired spelling, with the specific form of difficulty depending upon what knowledge or processes are affected. Using examples from our research, we show how the underlying problem can be identified from indicators such as the types of spelling errors a child makes. Finally, we consider implications of this framework for helping children (and adults) with dysgraphia.
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