A Dyslexic’s Guide to Writing [Premium]

A Dyslexic’s Guide to Writing [Premium]

by | Jun 12, 2022 | , , ,

“We have so many tools to take care of the spelling, but not the tools to bring a fresh and new perspective to the world. Focus on your voice and your message, and the rest will follow.” — Tess Gadd Tess Gadd is an interface designer based in Cape Town who also writes a popular blog on Medium. She shared three strategies she uses to overcome challenges with writing. 1. PROOFREADING TOOLS “Enter Grammarly. I have been using the pro version for a year now, and it has made such a difference to my writing. Not only does it pick up mistakes, but it is also improves my ability to edit and proofread my own work.” 2. READING TOP TO BOTTOM AND BOTTOM TOP “When […]

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If Your Student Can’t Write [Premium]

If Your Student Can’t Write [Premium]

by | Apr 3, 2022 | , , , , , , ,

If your student can’t write, no matter what age – prepare yourself for the long haul because so much of schooling and even many aspects of hiring and work can require writing. When writing is difficult for students with dyslexia, it may be that they are having difficulty converting feelings and images to words, trouble retrieving words, or putting them in the correct order, then writing them down with correct spelling and grammar. A significant proportion of dyslexic students will also have dyspraxia, so have trouble with sequencing and fine motor control required for handwriting automaticity. Any added difficulties may also swamp working memory, causing students to get lost in what they want to say. For many dyslexic people, dysgraphia will present a greater problem […]

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Writing: How to Start [Premium]

Writing: How to Start [Premium]

by | Dec 5, 2021 | , , , , , ,

WRITING FOR THOSE WHO HAVE TROUBLE STARTING Dyslexic writers who have difficulty beginning to write often suffer from knowing too much and not too little. There will be challenges of spelling and putting ideas into words, but more often there are larger structural issues like how do I narrow what I know so that I can write what is being asked of me and where do I start with what I want to say? For students who may sit with a blank piece of paper or blinking cursor for hours, having a template for responses, developing a keyword approach like the semantic map in the previous article or mind-mapping big ideas may be a way to get the writing process started.   PRE-WRITING TEMPLATES Being […]

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Dyslexia and Dysgraphia: What Does Writing Look Like? [Premium]

Dyslexia and Dysgraphia: What Does Writing Look Like? [Premium]

by | Oct 9, 2021 | , , , , , , , , ,

What does the writing look like in students with dyslexia and dysgraphia?   IMPAIRED AUTOMATICITY, CAPITAL LETTER INTRUSIONS, and SPELLING ERRORS Students who struggle with handwriting automaticity show irregular shapes and sizes of letters. For example, look at the letter ‘e’ in the spelling test at right. They are very different from one another, showing that the student has not ‘automated’ writing of the letter ‘e’. The more variable the letters are, the more arduous to write anything by hand. Working memory is easily overloaded, and students may be exhausted after writing a few words. The spelling test also shows capital letter intrusions (capital ‘D’), likely to avoid confusing lower case ‘d’ with ‘b’, irregular spacing, and phonological as well as sight word errors. When […]

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How to Keep Writing During the Pandemic [Premium]

How to Keep Writing During the Pandemic [Premium]

by | Sep 12, 2021 | , , , , , ,

Despite all of the mechanical and logistical challenges of writing for dyslexics, there are many for whom writing is a strength. What makes good writing?     So many things, but keen powers of observation, a good sense of humor, insight, feeling, these are all things that make good stories and storytelling. For some kids and adults, keeping a pandemic journal is therapeutic. It’s not limited to text. COVID comics anyone? Historians or watchers of Antiques Roadshow may recall how interesting pandemic or war time journals of the past were to transporting them into all the places and times of crises. Smithsonian has a post about the 1918 influenza diaries for those who might want to get some historical context on our present. Some people […]

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Tips for Academic Writing [Premium]

Tips for Academic Writing [Premium]

by | Aug 1, 2021 | , , , , , ,

Here are tips for academic writing from dyslexic grad students and university tutors.     1. REGULAR TIME FOR WRITING Plan regular times for research and writing. Schedule breaks, transitions, and catch-up periods. Unplug from email and social media and tell people not to interrupt you.   2. USE PRE-WRITING STRATEGIES Use key words or mind mapping to get information down on paper without using full sentences. Tell someone about the topic or record yourself talking about what you plan to do or use speech to text dictation in your phone to jot down notes in Notability or another app of your choice.   3. USE PROMPTS TO STRUCTURE Simplify your question prompts or use a template (who, what, when where, why, how; statement, evidence, […]

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Best Writing Apps [Premium]

Best Writing Apps [Premium]

by | Jul 18, 2021 | , , , , , , ,

We’ve talked a bit about speech to text for writing, but over time, many dyslexic students may prefer to write by typing or by hand. Technology can help dyslexic writers in many different ways, depending on their needs.     For young children with little or no eideitic (snapshot picture) memory for letters may benefit by an alphabet strip pasted inconspicuously in a folder or perhaps on a bulletin board. Students who are able to write by hand, but write very little because they’re uncertain of how to spell words, benefit tremendously by apps like Easy Spelling Aid which will find the spelling of words by speaking into the microphone. It also translate words. Check out these apps! Click on photos to access their sites. […]

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Writing: Elaboration [Premium]

Writing: Elaboration [Premium]

by | Jun 13, 2021 | , , , , , , , ,

If you were to compare dyslexic and non-dyslexic university students in writing, it’s usually the case, that on average, dyslexic students write fewer words and fewer words that are polysyllabic. The reasons are several; slowness with word retrieval, writing, and spelling, organizational challenges, and working memory overload are likely contributors. Because multisyllabic words are more challenging phonemically, not only are they harder to recognize and remember while reading, but also they are harder to spell.   THE BIG PICTURE OF ELABORATION The big picture of elaboration is that you want writers to fall in love with words, whether it’s a beautiful passage evoking imagery, or funny turn of phrase, or incisive argument. Students who are the easiest to cultivate as great writers are those who […]

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The Writing Process From a University Tutor [Premium]

The Writing Process From a University Tutor [Premium]

by | Sep 7, 2020 | , , , , , ,

I recently came across a helpful account from a university-based tutor who worked with a fellow college student at Reed. There are many points that are helpful to consider if you are working with a student in the area of writing. For some, writing is the most frustrating task they are likely to encounter in school. It is often the gateway to higher education and most common way their knowledge and ideas are assessed as they progress through education. The full article is HERE. She begins with a disclaimer, recognizing that she is “no expert,” but I think she is an expert of sorts, having worked through many difficult challenges with her student and helping him to reach a higher level of proficiency. “As my […]

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Expressive Language Difficulties & Dyslexia? [Premium]

Expressive Language Difficulties & Dyslexia? [Premium]

by | Feb 14, 2020 | , , , ,

Perhaps because dyslexia is already woefully under-identified in today’s schools, the expressive language aspects of dyslexia have taken a back seat in the schools as well as by researchers. Yet, on a daily basis, it may be helpful for dyslexic children and adults to know that expressive difficulties they may indeed be associated with dyslexia. In fact, knowledge about oral expressive language difficulties and dyslexia dates back at least to Samuel Orton in 1925. For those who would like to read more about this point from speech language pathologists, read HERE. A typical pattern is for preschoolers to have some mild noticeable difficulties in speech intelligibility. Error patterns may be corrected and a student is discharged from speech therapy. By the time a student reaches […]

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Unleash Dyslexic Writing with Dr. Nicole Swedberg [Premium]

Unleash Dyslexic Writing with Dr. Nicole Swedberg [Premium]

by | Dec 15, 2019 | , , , , ,

In step-by-step fashion, learn how to unleash the dyslexic writing talent of students through Dr. Nicole Swedberg’s idea of Mini-Writes. In her talk, Dr. Swedberg talks about short writing assignments can help students master small achievable goals. She describes how she can take a student through the writing process in 1-3 sessions. Some strategies include using wordless picture books, a word bank, and afterwards a routine involving spellcheck and finally use of text-to-speech for each sentence. Other topics include strategies for overcoming a report meltdown and strategies for note taking using assistive technology. Dr. Nicole Swedberg has generously donated this 20-minute webinar on Teaching Writing to LD Kids as a fundraiser to support the programs here at Dyslexic Advantage and we are very grateful.   […]

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Dyslexia and the NEW SAT [Premium]

Dyslexia and the NEW SAT [Premium]

by | Dec 2, 2019 | , , , , , , , , , , ,

The new SAT started March 2016. From the New York Times, “What’s true of the writing section is true of the new SAT in general: There’s much more to read. “The most fundamental change is that there are many, many more words,” said Aaron Golumbfskie, education director for PrepMatters. “If you don’t read well and happily, this test isn’t going to be your friend.” Even the math section will require more reading, with fewer questions based on equations and more word problems. Some prompts will present the same type of real-world situations that the Common Core emphasizes — “The recommended daily calcium intake for a 20-year-old is 1,000 milligrams (mg). One cup of milk contains 299 mg….” Mr. Golumbfskie describes the math section as “tighter […]

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