The difference between dysgraphia and dyslexia

An issue that involves difficulty with the physical act of writing. Kids may also find it hard to organize and express their thoughts and ideas in written form.

An issue that involves difficulty with reading. It can also affect writing, spelling, and speaking. Kids may find it hard to isolate sounds, match sounds to letters or blend sounds into words.

• Illegible handwriting
• Slow, labored writing
• Mixing print and cursive letters
• Spacing letters and words oddly
• Poor spelling and grammar
• Difficulty gripping a pencil
• Incorrect punctuation
• Run-on sentences and lack of paragraph breaks
• Trouble organizing information when writing

• Struggling with reading
• Trouble sounding out words
• Difficulty memorizing sight words
• Avoiding reading aloud
• Poor spelling and grammar
• Not understanding what he’s read
• Confusing the order of letters
• Trouble following a sequence of directions
• Difficulty organizing thoughts when speaking

Messy written work that’s full of mistakes may lead kids to hear they’re “lazy” or “sloppy.” Confusion or frustration at school can make them anxious. They may avoid taking risks and may have low self-esteem.

Not meeting expectations can make kids feel inadequate. Missing verbal jokes, sarcasm and subtle meaning in language can affect them socially. So can struggling to come up with the right word or timely answer to a question.

• Occupational therapy to build fine motor skills and dexterity
• Having kids take a break before proofreading their work
• A checklist for editing their work—spelling, neatness, grammar, syntax, clear progression of ideas, etc.
• Using graphic organizers

• Specific instruction on identifying sounds, understanding how letters represent sounds in speech and decoding words
• Specialized instruction, either one-on-one or in a small group
• A reading program that focuses on using all the senses to learn (a number of programs use a multisensory approach)

• Extended time on tests that involve writing
• Access to the teacher’s lesson notes
• Sentence starters showing how to begin a written response
• Being able to respond in other ways besides writing
• Breaking writing assignments into steps
• The use of a word processor in school
• Instruction in keyboarding skills

• Extra time for reading and writing
• Access to the teacher’s notes from the lesson to reduce the amount of note-taking
• Simplified directions
• Books on tape
• Shortened assignments

• Work on keyboarding skills.
• Use speech-to-text tools that allow your child’s speech to be translated to text.
• Try a handwriting program such as Handwriting Without Tears.
• Work on correct letter formation using techniques that don’t require writing, like finger writing in the air or in shaving cream.

• Read aloud so your child hears stories above his reading level.
• Encourage your child to listen to audiobooks.
• Help your child use spellcheck programs designed for people with dyslexia.
• Use speech-to-text tools.
• For younger kids, recite nursery rhymes and sing memory songs.