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Difficulties With Writing: Developmental Variation and Learning Disorders, Dr. Mel Levine

The document discusses 7 potential problems that can cause difficulties with writing in children: attention problems, spatial ordering problems, sequential ordering problems, memory problems, language problems, higher-order cognition problems, and graphomotor problems. Each problem is described in terms of how it may manifest in a child's writing. The document emphasizes that writing problems are often not isolated and improvements require developing multiple related skills. It also notes that some writing difficulties are normal for developing writers and advises monitoring children's writing progress over time to identify potential problems early.

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110 views10 pages

Difficulties With Writing: Developmental Variation and Learning Disorders, Dr. Mel Levine

The document discusses 7 potential problems that can cause difficulties with writing in children: attention problems, spatial ordering problems, sequential ordering problems, memory problems, language problems, higher-order cognition problems, and graphomotor problems. Each problem is described in terms of how it may manifest in a child's writing. The document emphasizes that writing problems are often not isolated and improvements require developing multiple related skills. It also notes that some writing difficulties are normal for developing writers and advises monitoring children's writing progress over time to identify potential problems early.

Uploaded by

uaebellifal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Difficulties with Writing

Developmental Variation and Learning Disorders, Dr. Mel Levine

difficulties in writing can be devastating to a


child's education and self-esteem
As children progress through school, they are
increasingly expected to express what they
know about many different subjects through
writing
If a child fails to develop certain basic skills, he
will be unable to write with the speed and
fluency required to excel as these demands
increase
Difficulties with Writing
a child struggling with a writing problem, the
writing process itself interferes with learning
Writing problems rarely occur in isolation, and
improvements in writing go hand in hand with
the development of other non-writing-specific
skills
Thus, a problem with the development in one of
these areas is likely to interfere with a child's
progress as a writer.
Problem 1 - Attention Problem
Children who struggle with attention may be inattentive
and impulsive. An attention problem may manifest
itself as:

difficulty getting started on writing assignments


easy distractibility during writing tasks
mental fatigue or tiredness while writing
inconsistent legibility in writing
uneven writing tempo
many careless errors
poorly planned papers and reports
Problem 2 : Spatial Ordering
Problem
Children who struggle with spatial ordering have
decreased awareness regarding the spatial
arrangement of letters, words, or sentences on a
page. A spatial ordering problem may manifest
itself in a child's writing as:
poor use of lines on the paper
organizational problems
uneven spacing between letters
many misspelled words
Problem 3 : Sequential Ordering
Problem

Children who struggle with sequential ordering


have difficulty putting or maintaining letters,
processes, or ideas in order. A sequential
ordering problem may manifest itself in a child's
writing as:
poor letter formation
transposed letters and spelling omissions
poor narrative sequencing
lack of transitions
Problem 4 : Memory Problem

Because so many writing processes need to be


automatic, active working memory is critical.
Children may have difficulty recalling spelling,
grammar, and punctuation rules, accessing prior
knowledge while writing, or organizing ideas. A
memory problem may manifest itself in a child's
writing as:
poor vocabulary
many misspelled words
frequent capitalization, punctuation, and
grammar errors
Problem 5 : Language Problem

Good writing relies on a child's language abilities improving


steadily over time. A language problem may manifest
itself in a child's writing as:
poor vocabulary
awkward phrasing and unconventional grammar
inappropriate use of colloquial language
difficulty with sentence structure and word order
trouble reading back what is written
difficulty with word sounds, spelling, and meanings
Problem 6 : Higher-Order
Cognition Problem
Children who have difficulty with higher-order
cognition are often unable to use writing to
present a sound argument or convey
sophisticated or abstract ideas. A higher-order
cognition problem might manifest itself in a
child's:
trouble generating ideas or elaborating on them
difficulty developing and organizing ideas
lack of opinion or sense of audience
difficulty with writing tasks that require creativity
and/or critical thinking
Problem 7 : Graphomotor
Problem
Children with graphomotor problems struggle to
coordinate the small muscles of the fingers in
order to maneuver a pen or pencil, especially as
assignment length increases. A child with a
graphomotor problem might:
write only very short passages
write exceptionally slowly and with great effort
use an awkward pencil grip
lack fluidity in cursive writing
find it hard to form letters
Difficulties with Writing
Developmental Variation and Learning Disorders, Dr. Mel Levine

It's important to remember that many children and


adolescents make mistakes or experience problems as
part of the process of becoming better writers.
They may reverse words, spell poorly, or have difficulty
producing their thoughts in writing, or exhibit other of the
signs above.
Teachers and parents must watch carefully and try to
understand an individual child's strengths and
weaknesses to ensure progress.
One way to monitor progress is through collecting a
portfolio of a child's work over time. This may help in
identifying a problem early on and developing effective
strategies.

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