Dysgraphia is a learning disability that currently affects thousands of students nationwide. It significantly impairs one’s handwriting and overall ability to express themselves through written language. Fortunately, as a parent, there are multiple steps you can take to help your student improve not only their handwriting, but also their overall confidence with written language. 

For example, you might consider enrolling them in Amenia, NY’s Maplebrook School. There, the educators are trained to accommodate a variety of learning disabilities and help your child excel both inside and outside the classroom. To supplement this professional instruction, you might also have your student complete some daily exercises to both engage and strengthen their written language skills. Below, Maplebrook’s staff discusses five such activities.

5 Instructional Activities Designed to Help Students With Dysgraphia

1. Modeling Clay

Finger strength and dexterity play a crucial role in one’s handwriting. If your child has dysgraphia, encourage them to play with clay for 30 minutes a day. The malleable material will strengthen their hand muscles and improve their control over writing utensils.

2. Paper Mazes

Putting pen to paper requires fine motor control, a skill that is engaged through puzzles like paper mazes. To reach the end, your child must keep their writing utensil within strict boundaries, thus improving their coordination.

3. Memory Games

Dysgraphia also impairs orthographic coding, or the process of storing new words in one’s working memory while you analyze each letter. To help your child improve this essential handwriting skill, try saying a letter aloud and instructing them to visualize it. After a few seconds, have them write the now memorized letter on a piece of paper. 

4. Dictation

Dictation exercises are another fun way to improve your child’s handwriting and orthographic coding abilities. Simply read a letter aloud, and have your student copy it down. To add some excitement, try selecting a series of letters that spell out a fun, familiar word.

5. Prompts

Once your child is comfortable with memorizing and writing individual letters, they may ask to venture into full words and sentences. You can introduce the topic by creating an amusing prompt and giving them five minutes to compose a small, related text.  

Interested to see how else you and Maplebrook School can work together to help your child overcome their learning differences and reach their full potential? Call them at (845) 373-8191 today to request information or schedule a tour. For an overview of the private boarding school’s programs, visit their website.