Episode 168: Quick Q&A: What is Dysgraphia?

What is dysgraphia? 

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association defines dysgraphia as referring to difficulty with either language or spelling-based aspects of writing.  Dysgraphia impairs letter writing by hand, which can affect spelling, learning to spell words, the speed of writing, reading word recognition, comprehension, and writing processes and products. 

Resources

• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Disorder of Reading and Writing 
• International Dyslexia Association Understanding Dysgraphia

We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.

Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.

Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Episode Transcript

Lori (00:01):
Hi teacher friends.
This is Lori from Melissa andLori Love Literacy.
Today I'll be talking aboutdysgraphia.
We discussed dysgraphia inepisode 166 with Tiffany Hogan,
where she goes deep into thetopic of language comprehension.
So what is dysgraphia?
Dysgraphia is a type ofdevelopmental language disorder,

(00:21):
or DLD.
A recent mini-episode explainsdevelopmental language disorders
DLD in more detail, so be sureto listen to that super short,
just a few minutes episode tolearn more.
DLD is a brain-basedneuro-developmental diversity,
such as autism or dyslexia, ordysgraphia.

(00:42):
This brain variation makes itdifficult to learn language from
the environment.
The American Speech LanguageHearing Association defines
dysgraphia as referring todifficulty with either language
or spelling-based aspects ofwriting.
Disgraphia can occur alone orwith other learning disabilities
, and it affects pretty much allof the things we do related to

(01:07):
reading, writing, speaking andlistening.
Dysgraphia impairs letterwriting by hand.
That can affect things likelearning to spellwords, the
speed of writing, spelling, wordrecognition, comprehension and
writing processes and productsthe International Dyslexia
Association shares.
We can help students withdysgraphia by practicing letter

(01:30):
formation.
This might look likestrengthening hand muscles by
squeezing items like clay,connecting dots to make letters
or even tracing.
Students also benefit frompracticing automatic letter
writing, such as the dictationof letters.
We should provide students withdysgraphia explicit instruction

(01:51):
in spelling.
This includes phonics andvocabulary instruction, right
connecting that to meaning.
And, of course, we want toteach writing strategies like
writing structures, planning,revising, reviewing, and we want
students to practice withdifferent writing tasks and
writing genres.
So that's it.
That's a little bit aboutdysgraphia.

(02:12):
Hope it helps.
Be sure to check out the shownotes for lots of resources.
Thanks for listening.
Literacy Lovers, to stayconnected with us, sign up for
our email list atliteracypodcastcom.

Melissa (02:27):
And to keep learning together.
Join the Melissa and Lori LoveLiteracy Podcast Facebook group
and be sure to follow us onInstagram and Twitter.

Lori (02:36):
If this episode resonated with you, take a moment to share
with a teacher friend or leaveus a five star rating and review
on Apple podcasts.

Melissa (02:44):
Just a quick reminder that the views and opinions
expressed by the hosts andguests of the Melissa and Lori
Love Literacy Podcast are notnecessarily the opinions of
Great Minds PBC or its employees.

Lori (02:56):
We appreciate you so much and we're so glad you're here to
learn with us.