Dysgraphia in elementary school children

INTRODUCTION Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects a person's ability to write coherently and accurately. Unlike dysorthography, which focuses on spelling, dysgraphia focuses on the motor and coordination difficulties associated with handwriting.

Dysgraphia is a neurological disorder that makes writing challenging and stressful.

Individuals with dysgraphia commonly struggle with handwriting, spelling, and grammar. They may also experience difficulty in organizing their ideas and expressing them coherently on paper.

It is essential to detect and address dysgraphia in the early stages, as it can significantly affect a child's academic performance and self-esteem. Parents and educators can provide specific support and strategies to help children improve their writing.

Several factors can cause dysgraphia, including genetics, brain injury, and developmental disorders like ADHD or dyslexia. It's crucial to understand that dysgraphia is not a reflection of intelligence or effort, but rather a specific learning disorder that impacts the ability to execute fine motor skills required for writing (Cleveland Clinic, 2022).

Characteristics of children with dysgraphia It is common for some people to have difficulty organizing their thoughts and expressing them coherently on paper. Your writing may be difficult to understand due to poorly formed, uneven, or distorted letters. They can also delete or skip letters while writing or join words. Additionally, they may write more slowly than their classmates and experience confusion with letters, such as changing an "a" to an "e." Precise control of the pencil or pen while writing can also be a challenge.

Causes Dysgraphia can be caused by various factors, including difficulties in processing information in the brain or poor motor skills that hinder the ability to move fingers or body. Environmental factors can also play a role in the development of dysgraphia.

Children who don't have exposure to language and literacy from an early age may face challenges when it comes to writing later. It's important to note that the causes of dysgraphia can differ from person to person, and each case may be unique (Babarro Rodríguez, 2019).

Objectives General objective: -

To create effective learning strategies that can help elementary school children who suffer from dysgraphia.

Specific objective: -

To develop activities that can help elementary school children with dysgraphia improve their writing skills.

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To evaluate the effectiveness of strategies to improve the writing ability of children with dysgraphia.

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To determine how the implementation of strategies can improve the condition of children with dysgraphia.

Activities Before you start writing, you can perform hand-warming exercises that help strengthen your hand muscles. Some examples of such exercises include squeezing a rubber ball, making circular movements with your fingers, stretching your fingers up and down, and other similar exercises.

Working with plasticine, which involves kneading and shaping the material to help strengthen the muscles of the hand. Additionally, forming letters or figures with the plasticine can be useful for practicing hand-eye coordination. Another helpful exercise is tracing lines on worksheets with your finger. Crossword puzzles and word searches can also be effective methods for improving dysgraphia.

One such method is to create cards featuring letters and their corresponding images, which can be used to play memory games. Playing these games helps children to associate the shape of the letters with their meaning. Another method is to read sentences aloud and ask children to write them correctly. This helps to reinforce their understanding of sentence structure and grammar.

Guided writing activities can also be helpful, where children are given incomplete sentences or paragraphs and must complete them with the correct words. This can help them develop their vocabulary and improve their writing skills (Calle Guallpa, 2022).

CONCLUSION In conclusion, learning strategies are a crucial and efficient aspect of assisting children with dysgraphia. Modifying these strategies based on each child's progress and response has been a key factor in maintaining their effectiveness over time.

It is crucial to develop activities that help children with dysgraphia to enhance their writing skills, which is necessary for their academic progress and personal growth.

These activities must focus on addressing the fine motor difficulties and hand-eye coordination that are typical of dysgraphia. With dedication and concentration, these activities can significantly impact the development and confidence of children with dysgraphia.

Successful implementation of strategies has proven to be a key factor in improving the condition of children with dysgraphia, providing a holistic approach that goes beyond writing skills and positively impacting their educational experience and overall development.

References Babarro Rodríguez, N. (22 de Marzo de 2019). Psicología-Online. Obtenido de Disgrafía: definición, tipos, causas, tratamiento y ejemplos: https://www.psicologia-online.com/disgrafia-definicion-tipos-causastratamiento-y-ejemplos-4458.html Calle Guallpa, J. A. (1 de Abril de 2022). Estrategia didáctica para mejorar la disgrafía de niños y niñas de Educación General Básica Elemental de la Unidad Educativa “Víctor Hugo Abad Muñoz”, de la parroquia Zhud, del Cantón Cañar, período 2020-2021. Obtenido de UNACH: http://dspace.unach.edu.ec/handle/51000/8860 Cleveland Clinic. (16 de Junio de 2022). Dysgraphia. Obtenido de my.clevelandclinic: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23294dysgraphia