Writing & Spelling
Articles within this section cover a broad range of topics, including understanding dysgraphia (a term used to describe difficulty in writing, particularly handwriting), teaching writing skills, and technology resources for writing.
There are 38 articles in this section.
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Language-Based Learning Disability: What to Know
Language-based learning disabilities (LBLD) encompass a spectrum of cognitive and behavioral differences in processing, comprehending, and using language. Students with LBLD commonly experience difficulties with listening, speaking, reading, writing, spelling, math, organization, attention, memory, social skills, perseverance, and self-regulation. However, a teaching style that is specialized and structured enables students with LBLD to succeed. Learn the essential facts about how to foster the strengths of students with LBLD in this article.
Writing Disabilities: An Overview
Learn from an expert why some kids with learning disabilities struggle with writing and how some instructional approaches can help.
Writing Made Easier: Helping Students Develop Automatic Sound/Symbol Correspondence
This article discusses one component of writing mechanics — finesse with sound/symbol correspondence. It describes a method, called Memory Foundations for Reading, that can be used by a parent with a single child or a teacher with a group and which helps children use many senses to recall letter sounds.
Spelling is a challenge for people with dyslexia. The International Dyslexia Association provides a fact sheet explaining why people with dyslexia have trouble spelling, how to find out the reasons a particular child has this difficulty, and how to help children with dyslexia spell better.
Dysgraphia: More Than Just Bad Handwriting
Teachers and parents should suspect dysgraphia if a child's handwriting is unusually difficult to read. Find out more about this neurological problem that can cause physical pain as some children struggle to write.
Helping Your Young Child With Writing
Engage your child in the writing process. This article includes simple, fun tasks to give your child that involve writing, materials and tools to help, and LD OnLine's answer to the question, "Does spelling count?"
A Student's Perspective on Writing
Eli, a young boy, tells us what it is like to have dysgraphia. Regina Richards, a well-known expert on dysgraphia (and Eli's mom), explains how to help children who struggle with the challenges Eli describes. Practical techniques discussed include POWER: Prepare, Organize, Write, Edit, Revise.
Helping Students Who Struggle to Write: Classroom Compensations
There are many reasons students hate to write, the primary of which is that writing is a slow and laborious process. The purpose of this article is to provide suggestions to help students, with emphasis on compensations
The Writing Road: Reinvigorate Your Students' Enthusiasm for Writing
Teach your students to avoid the avoidance of writing. Learn how to lead them down the path of enthusiasm and self-confidence about writing through research-proven strategies.
Writing Made Easier: Helping Students Develop Automatic Sound/Symbol Correspondence
This article discusses one component of writing mechanics — finesse with sound/symbol correspondence. It describes a method, called Memory Foundations for Reading, that can be used by a parent with a single child or a teacher with a group and which helps children use many senses to recall letter sounds.
How to Help Your Students Write Well: An Interview with Steve Graham
Three research based practices help students with learning disabilities improve their writing. Read this interview with Steve Graham, author of Writing Next: Effective Strategies to Improve Writing of Adolescents in Middle and High School who explains how you can help your students succeed in communicating through the written word.
Teaching Students to Take Class Notes
Do your students have trouble taking notes? Learn techniques to help them such as abbreviations, column style notetaking, and a visual style of taking notes called webbing.
Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects writing abilities. Learn the warning signs and strategies that can help. There are techniques for teaching and accommodating early writers, young students, or help yourself if you struggle with dysgraphia.
Using Assistive Technology to Support Writing
Technology—and especially the subset of technology tools known as assistive technology—can be an effective element of the writing curriculum for students with disabilities. Assistive technology (AT) can be defined as a technology that allows someone to accomplish a critical educational or life task. Since writing is so integral to school success, AT is often indicated to assist students with disabilities. In this article, CITEd looks at how technology can support students' writing.
Many young readers are puzzled by the rules and exceptions of spelling. Research shows that learning to spell and learning to read rely on much of the same underlying knowledge. Learn more about the relationships between letters and sounds and how a proper understanding of spelling mechanics can lead to improved reading.
Spelling and Students with Learning Disabilities
Spelling difficulties can be enduring in individuals with reading disabilities, sometimes even after reading has been successfully remediated. Addressing spelling difficulties is important, because poor spelling can hamper writing and can convey a negative impression even when the content of the writing is excellent.
Improving the Quality of Student Notes
Much of classroom learning at the secondary and postsecondary levels depends on understanding and retaining information from lectures. In most cases, students are expected to take notes and to review them in preparation for testing of lecture material.
Five Guidelines for Learning Spelling and Six Ways for Practicing Spelling
Here are some concrete techniques that children can use to study spelling. This article also shares guidelines teachers and students should keep in mind, because practice makes permanent.
Strategies for the Reluctant Writer
What Happens When Students Use Text-to-Speech and Word Predict Programs to Compose Text?