What Is Dysgraphia? Understanding Writing Struggles and How to Help

When we talk about dyslexia, we’re referring to students who struggle with reading. These children often need targeted instruction in phonological awareness, phonics, spelling rules, and morphology to make reading click. Once they receive the right support, their reading improves significantly. But what about writing?

Dysgraphia is a term that people use in different ways. Broadly, it refers to difficulty with writing, but the underlying reasons can vary widely.

For some students, dysgraphia is primarily a motor issue—they may have an awkward pencil grip, poor fine motor control, or trouble forming letters. These students benefit most from occupational therapy, which helps them develop the physical skills needed for handwriting.

For other students, dysgraphia is a result of weak grammar or organizational skills. They may have wonderful ideas for what they'd like to write, but struggle to form sentences or organize their thoughts into a cohesive essay. These students can benefit from tools like graphic organizers and work with writing tutors who specifically teach grammar and focus on helping students structure their thoughts.

But for most students, dysgraphia is about spelling rather than motor control, grammar, or organizational skills. These students are often so worried about how to spell individual words that they'll respond to writing prompts with just a few, short sentences and basic vocabulary that don't come close to reflecting what they know about the topic. These are often (but not always) the same students who have difficulty reading, and that's because it's generally due to the same underlying cause: weak phonological processing and limited knowledge of phonics, spelling rules, and morphology. In these cases, dyslexia and dysgraphia are closely linked.

The encouraging news is that students with this language-based form of dysgraphia can make real progress when they’re taught the right skills. When we help them build a strong foundation in phonological skills, phonics, spelling rules, and morphology, both their reading and writing improve. As spelling becomes easier, these students stop limiting themselves to short, simple words and start writing longer, more complex sentences. Their written work begins to reflect the rich and thoughtful ideas they’ve always had but struggled to express.

Interestingly, some students seem to read just fine but still have trouble with spelling. These kids often have strong memories, wide vocabularies, and good comprehension skills that help them “get by” with reading, even though they’ve missed some of the foundational skills. They may not have mastered the building blocks of how words are put together, but their strengths allow them to compensate in reading. To become fluent spellers and confident writers, though, these students also need explicit instruction in phonological skills, phonics, morphology, and spelling patterns. The good news? Their existing strengths often help them learn these skills quickly once they get the right instruction.

Whether your child is struggling with both reading and spelling, or just spelling, the key is identifying the missing skills and filling in those gaps. Help your child become a fluent speller, and you’ll likely see their writing abilities soar. When spelling is no longer a constant challenge, kids are finally free to share their ideas with confidence and creativity.

How Kids Up Reading Tutors Can Help

Kids Up Reading Tutors, LLC (formerly Kids Up Reading Coaches, LLC) specializes in helping students in grades 1-12 catch up to their peers in reading and spelling in MONTHS, not years, with:

• 1-on-1 high-intensity, evidence-based instruction (Orton-Gillingham+)

• 45- or 60-minute sessions tailored to the specific skills YOUR student needs

• A defined program and curriculum to get your child caught up to grade level

• Weekly progress updates for parents

• Flexible scheduling to accommodate after-school and summer activities

• The convenience of Zoom (no driving or tutor in your home in the evenings)

Our Guarantee: Try it for a week. Love it, or it's on us!

If your student is struggling with reading or writing, don't wait. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your child or teen become a fluent reader, a good speller, and a confident student!