If your child is struggling with writing, it may be a symptom of dysgraphia. What is dysgraphia? We ask JEROME BARTY-TAYLOR of BartyED for some insights, along with ways to tackle it, and also some tips on setting a screen time limit for children.
What is dysgraphia and how common is it?
Dysgraphia is a learning difference that affects a person’s ability to write coherently. The dysgraphic child typically presents with a large disparity between their verbal articulacy and their written expression. Students often struggle with consistent letter formation and may tire physically after short periods of handwriting. This is sometimes referred to as motor dysgraphia and is often identified in primary school.
As students approach secondary school, difficulties with language processing and translating thoughts into writing (even if typed) are likely to become problematic for their grades. Dysgraphic students also tend to present with weaker executive functioning skills. This means they struggle to organise projects or complete extended pieces with time constraints.
The prevalence of dysgraphia is difficult to assess. A 2020 study from the University of California, Irvine estimated the prevalence to be as high as 30 percent of the population, depending on the definition of dysgraphia that is adopted. What is clear is that more and more students are presenting with dysgraphia-like symptoms and the inability to complete written work at grade-appropriate level.
Does dysgraphia relate to ADHD?
Dysgraphia and ADHD are both neurodevelopmental disorders that can be co-occurring. Students with ADHD can indeed present with weaker conventions of written language. Sstudents with ADHD may find medication a helpful tool in managing their focus. However, this does not help them perform more strongly in school if they have yet to consolidate the key literacy and/or academic skills to help them succeed. For example, note-taking and paragraph construction. Certainly, the executive functioning deficits present in both profiles can manifest as challenges in planning, organising, and sequencing thoughts effectively in writing. This is one of the reasons why neurodiverse students may find the project-based learning of the IB Middle Years Program so challenging without additional support.
The literature does not fully understand why the overlap between dysgraphia and ADHD exists. It may be that inattention and impulsivity leads to a difficulty in focusing on early primary literacy instruction. So these students do not pick up the conventions of grammar, punctuation and expression as quickly as their peers.
How can parents help support kids with dysgraphia?
Students with dysgraphia often struggle with low self-esteem. It can be very demotivating to put effort into schoolwork but not receive the validation of better marks. Therefore, it’s essential that parents praise a child’s hard work where appropriate and help them adopt a growth mindset. Writing won’t elude them forever. But it may always require more cognitive energy and diligence for them than for their peers. Helping students manage homework time, reviewing task instructions with them, and breaking any written work into manageable chunks can also be helpful. Equally, it’s important that parents work closely with their child’s school to ensure that the child can comfortably ask for clarification on unfinished classwork or homework assignments. The executive functioning challenges do not diminish with age. However, students can learn to manage them if they are proactive in seeking help when needed. This is a behaviour that parents must instil.
What approach does BartyED take?
We take a holistic approach when it comes to supporting our students. This means that instead of focusing purely on academic outcomes, we also act as mentors for our students.
Each new student is carefully assessed by our expertly trained staff in regard to not only their academic abilities but also their approach to learning and how they perceive their strengths and weaknesses in a given subject. This allows the team to formulate a distinct learning plan that caters to the specific needs of the student. Our tutors provide strategies for students to assist in overcoming difficulties related to time management, organisation, planning and their confidence.
Central to our approach is building long-term relationships with our students. This becomes the foundation of a student’s intrinsic motivation that we cultivate and help build, and what differentiates us from other education groups in Hong Kong.
BartyED tutors recognise the distinct challenges facing the dysgraphic student. Due to the difficulties such students face in putting their ideas onto paper, our tutors take care to model the type of language they’d like to see in a response, as well as provide a clear structure that students can follow and apply to other analytical writing prompts. Our tutors also seek to empower students to check their own work for spelling and punctuation errors, building their confidence over time.
What are some other factors that are causing kids to struggle at school right now?
It’s unclear if the widespread adoption of technology in schools is actually producing better learning outcomes. At secondary level, for example, the prevalence of e-submissions for homework and assignments appears to negatively affect students’ willingness to proof-read and edit their work before submitting it for grading.
Additionally, the absence of physical note-taking means that it’s harder for class content to be consolidated and retained. Put simply, we learn better when taking notes by hand, even if just in flash-card form.
There have been some interesting case studies focusing on technology impact on attainment. For example, Sydney Grammar School – one of the top boys’ schools in Australia – banned laptops from classrooms from the beginning of the 2016 academic year. The percentage of their students scoring in the 95th percentile or above in the ATAR national ranking rose from 55.8% to 77.4% in the subsequent three academic years. Obviously, one incident does not signify a trend, but it does invite us to think more critically about how we should be deploying technology in education.
The long-term effects of smartphone use is another area of study that has wide-ranging consequences for young learners. The link between access to smartphones, social media and poorer mental health outcomes for young people has been established by multiple studies. In a more specific academic context, smartphone access through childhood appears to contribute to greater-than-normal difficulties with focus and concentration. This means that students are now finding it harder to reach key academic benchmarks, like the ability to read and interpret longer texts. Eton College, one of the UK’s most prestigious schools, is banning new students from bringing smartphones to school from September 2024.
Tips for setting a screen time limit
Worried about the amount of time your child is spending on devices? Or perhaps you have concerns about a younger one who will soon get their first phone? Here are some points to consider from the BartyED team about creating a screen time limit and instilling healthy digital behaviours.
- Avoid giving children a smartphone for as long as possible. Our students who do not have access before the age of 14 consistently present as being ahead of their peers in academics.
- A screen time limit can be difficult to manage, as children mimic what is modelled for them, and smartphones are such an essential part of modern working life. However, teenagers generally struggle with delayed gratification as their brains are still developing. When it comes to smartphone and technology use, it’s the responsibility of parents to establish clear boundaries around screen time.
- Replace screen time with allotted reading time for both parent and teen. Other mentally enriching activities like board games can also be of benefit.
- Ensure teenagers maintain a healthy range of activities. Teenagers often become discouraged from team sports in secondary school, so finding alternative physical activities for them is key.
- Involve your teen in the process of setting a screen time limit. Speak to them about their perspective on school and learning, and their screen time. Most teens are aware of the problem. A decision or goal that is shared is much more likely to be achieved.
Want to know more about dysgraphia and how it might be affecting your child? Reach out to the team at enquiries@bartyed.com or 2882 1017.
This article about dysgraphia and what screen time limits to set for kids first appeared in the Autumn 2024 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe so you never miss a copy!
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