1.

Knowledge Difficulties
• Less awareness of what constitutes good writing
and how to produce it
• Restricted knowledge about genre-specific text
structures
• Limited vocabulary
• Underdeveloped knowledge of word and
sentence structure
• Difficulty accessing existing topic knowledge
 2. Skill Difficulties
• Often do not plan before or during writing
• Do not analyze or reflect on writing
• Have limited ability to self-regulate thoughts,
feelings, and actions throughout the writing
process
• Show poor attention and concentration
 3. Motivational Difficulties
• Often do not develop writing goals and sub-goals
• Fail to balance performance goals
• Have negative self-efficacy (competency) beliefs
• Lack persistence
• Feel helpless and poorly motivated due to
repeated failure
• Students should have meaningful writing
experiences and be assigned authentic writing
tasks.
• Routines should permit students to become
comfortable with the writing process
• Lessons should be designed to help students
master craft elements, writing skills, and process
strategies.
1. Accommodation in the learning environment
• Increase instructional time for writing
• Provide quiet and comfortable spaces for students
to work
• Provide access to writing tools
2. Accommodation in instructional materials
• Highlight key words and phrases
• Transition from simple to more elaborate graphic
organizers and procedural checklists
• Post strategies, graphic organizers, and checklists in
classroom and give students personal copies
• Develop individualized spelling lists
• Have students keep a personal dictionary word
frequently used spelling vocabulary
2. Accommodation in instructional materials
• Provide paper positioning marks on students’
desk
• Provide pencil grips for students
• Provide raised-or-colored-lined paper
• Provide students with personal copies of alphabet
3. Accommodation in teaching strategies
• Develop more instructional time to writing mechanics
• Provide physical assistance during handwriting practice
• Re-teach writing skills and strategies
• Expect and support mastery learning of skills and
strategies
• Assign homework designed to reinforced writing
instruction
3. Accommodation in teaching strategies
• Help students develop self-instructions and self-
questions that focus on positive attributions for success
and task progress
• Teach students to evaluate and adjust their writing
behaviors and writing strategy use to improve their
writing productivity and performance
4. Modifications to Task Demands
• Increase amount of time allotted for completing written
assignments
• Decrease the length and/or complexity of written
assignments
• Reduce or eliminate copying demands
• Allow students to use temporary/invented spelling
• Permit students to use integrated spell checker and/or
prediction software to facilitate correct spelling
4. Modifications to Task Demands
• Grade assignments based on the amount of
improvement rather than absolute performance
• Provide feedback on content, organization, style, and
conventions
• Provide feedback on targeted aspects of writing rather
than all aspects to avoid overwhelming students
5. Modifications to Learning Tasks
• Permit students to dramatize or orally present
their written assignment, either in lieu of writing
or in preparation for writing
• Assign students suitable roles for the creation of a
group-generated paper
Handwriting is a functional yet complex task in
which lower-level, perceptual-motor processes
and higher-level cognitive process interact,
allowing for communication of thought using a
written code.
1. Explicit Letter Formation Instruction
• Model how to form each letter (upper and lowercase) using visual cues.
• Teach letter formation in a logical sequence (e.g., starting with easier-to-
form letters like ―l,‖ ―t,‖ ―i‖).
• Use verbal cues or mnemonics (e.g., "Start at the top, pull down") to guide
movement.
2. Teach and Reinforce Proper Grip and Posture
• Demonstrate correct pencil grip using visuals or physical modeling.
• Use pencil grips or triangular pencils to support correct finger positioning.
• Ensure students are seated properly: feet flat, table at elbow height, paper
tilted slightly.
3. Use Lined or Specialized Paper
• Provide lined paper with visual cues, such as colored or raised lines, to
help with letter size and placement.
• Use paper with highlighted or dotted midlines to guide proper formation of
tall, short, and descending letters.
4. Incorporate Multisensory Activities
• Engaging multiple senses can reinforce motor memory and letter
recognition:
-Sand writing, shaving cream, or finger tracing on textured surfaces
-Air writing (tracing large letters in the air with their arms)
• Use clay or Wikki Stix to form letters.
• Write letters with a paintbrush or water on pavement.
5. Provide Guided Practice with Feedback
• Offer frequent, short handwriting sessions (10–15 minutes daily is ideal).
• Give immediate, specific feedback (e.g., "That 'b' is sitting on the line
nicely!").
• Allow time for repetition and review before introducing new letters.
6. Group Letters by Movement Patterns
• Teach letters in families that share similar strokes:
-―Magic c‖ group: c, a, d, g, o, q
-―Tall line‖ group: l, t, k, h, b
-―Short line‖ group: i, u, n, m, r
• This builds muscle memory and makes handwriting more efficient.
7. Encourage Self-Monitoring
• Teach students to check their own work: ―Are my letters sitting on the
line? Are they the right size?‖
• Provide visual checklists or a handwriting rubric.
• Let students use colored pens/highlighters to self-edit their handwriting for
neatness or spacing.
8. Practice with Purpose
• Connect handwriting practice to meaningful tasks, like writing their name,
a journal entry, or a favorite quote.
• Use fun worksheets or write short letters to classmates or family to
increase engagement.
9. Use Technology and Interactive Tools (when needed)
• Interactive apps that mimic handwriting can reinforce formation (e.g.,
―LetterSchool,‖ ―Writing Wizard‖).
• Some students may benefit from assistive technology like stylus pens on
tablets, especially if handwriting continues to be a significant barrier.
10. Be Patient and Celebrate Progress
• Handwriting takes time—especially for students with motor difficulties or
attention challenges.
• Celebrate small wins like improved spacing, better posture, or consistent
letter size.
Dysgraphia is the term used by some
professionals to describe disorder of written
expression and incorporates various aspects,
including spelling and handwriting (Nicolson &
Fawcett, 2011).
Despite the proliferation of spell checker
in word processing documents, it is still
important to teach spelling to children in
school. Not every document will be
written in a computer program, nor will
these programs pick up every mistake.
Proper spelling is a fundamental part of
language arts skills and continues to be
taught in elementary schools across
United States.
Practice at Home
Students who need remedial help with spelling
benefit from practicing skills at home.
Communication between schools and parent is
imperative. Teachers should send home word and
vocabulary lists for the student to practice with.
 Interactive Computer Games and Websites
 Clapping in a beat as the student spells a word
 Making word puzzles
 Writing the words indifferent colors
 Marching in place while spelling or bouncing
ball back and forth while spelling
• Memory problems resulting in letter reversals
• Lack of understanding letter-sound relationships
• Failure to apply spelling rules or make
connections between the rules and application
of them
• Not reading or writing enough
• Trouble remembering sight words