When Writing is a Problem

I’ve just acquired the book “Handbook of Learning Disabilities” edited by Swanson, Harris and Graham. I am going to summarized Chapter 21, “Preventing Written Expression Disabilities through Early and Continuing Assessment and Intervention for Handwriting and/or Spelling Problems: Research into Practice” by V. Berninger and D. Amtmann.

By the end of 2nd grade many children are impaired in spelling, handwriting or both. Many have superior high-level thinking skills which mask their low-level transcription skills (handwriting and spelling). If not remediated they are often labeled lazy and unmotivated when in fact their ability to write and complete assignments is compromised by their poor transcription skills.

Orthographic representation of letter forms in memory (how the letters look), access to retrieval in memory, and planning for producing the letter may contribute more to handwriting then motor skills. The more automatic low-level handwriting and spelling are the more brain resources that are available for high-level composing. Early intervention in increasing automaticity of letter production may influence the quality of written expression in middle school.

Intervention for spelling and handwriting of 1st graders had the best results in improving handwriting legibility, automaticity and compostion when the intervention group studied numbered arrow cues for a sequential plan for letter formation and also wrote letters form memory after increasing delays in how long the letter form had to be retained in memory.

An improvement of spelling study showed that training in the alphabetic principle in isolation) resulted in the best learning of taught works. The combination of training alphabetic principle both in isolation and in word context let to significant improvement in composition length and spelling accuracy in composing.

Once adequate transcription skills are developed and experience in composition the goal should be to learn the process of writing-planning, translating, reviewing and revising.

Concluding quote: “Based on 12 years of research on prevention of writing problems, we propose that early intervention aimed at teaching handwriting and/or spelling to at-risk writers early in schooling may eliminate or significantly reduce the number of students needing to use computer-based technologies as bypass strategies for low-level processes in writing and increase the number of students able to use computers adaptively for high-level process in writing later in writing development. However, research-based evidence currently available suggests that for the students who continue to experience difficulties with transcription processes, in spite of appropriate interventions, computer-based bypass strategies should be considered”

I also read an article about a study on orthographic dyslexia. In the study they determined if the young elementary students were orthographically dyslexic by presenting them with a sheet of paper with letters reversed/non-reversed an asking them to mark the reversed letters. Those who made the most mistakes were in the orthographic dyslexic group for the study.[color=darkblue][/color][color=darkblue][/color][color=darkblue][/color]