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excelled in conversation, so I thought I was home free! But then we were expected to create an outline over the weekend. All weekend, I thought about the assignment. I knew what the finished product was supposed to be, but I couldn’t figure out how to produce it. On Sunday night, I was consumed by overwhelming anxiety about what Monday would bring.
When Monday came, I had nothing to turn in, nor did I have anything to turn in on the many days that followed. Virtually every day, Mrs. Longo would gently remind me that if I didn’t do the work, I would fail her class. I would nod my head and smile. I assured her that I would do the required work. But deep down inside, I knew I was going to fail— but not because I wanted to. Left to my own devices, I simply did not have the ability, or the tools, to manage all of the logistics that go into crafting a research paper.
When I worked with Kaia, I provided the support I wished someone had offered me. I systematically broke down each step into parts she could understand and contribute to. I actively engaged her in the project through conversation by acting as her scribe and by making sure we adhered to a reasonable timetable. I know this approach is time consum-ing, but if your child has dysgraphia, this type of support is needed.
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Choosing a Topic and Starting Research
Discuss the writing assignment with your child. Make sure your child is aware of the specific requirements. Help your child choose a topic that interests him or her. If the topic is assigned and your child isn’t showing enthusiasm for it, promote his or her interest by exploring the topic on the Internet or checking out books from the library. Devote time to watching informative videos or high- interest movies related to the subject of the research paper. Visit a local museum or business that has some relationship to the topic. By organically introducing your child to the subject of his or her research paper, he or she will begin to feel like an expert on the topic before you begin the writing process. This will promote his or her motivation to work on the research paper and apply a higher level of effort to it.
Help your child identify relevant information in the various sources you have gathered. This aspect of writing is often one of the most diffi-cult for children with LBLDs because it demands well- developed reading skills and the capacity to strategically locate and record important infor-mation. As a parent of a child with dysgraphia, you will need to provide a high level of support by reading material aloud to your child and helping him or her recognize when something is worth using in the paper.
When working with middle and high school students, I find that elementary- level books make the process of reading about the topic as easy as possible. Books of this type can be found in the children’s section of a library. Read and review a few of these books with your child. Then help him or her develop an organization system for all of the materials that you have gathered. Help your child neatly compile the research.
Starting to Write
Begin the writing process by asking your child what he or she knows about the topic. Write down everything your child says, even if some thoughts don’t seem relevant. You want your child to know that you value what he or she is saying. This will prompt your child to contribute even more ideas.
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As your child dictates to you, provide prompts and suggestions.
Encourage your child to elaborate where necessary to clarify ideas. Offer suggestions and help your child fill in gaps that might exist in the writing.
Sometimes it can be helpful to create an outline before the writing process begins. Other times, it makes more sense to start the writing process and then create an outline later based on the written material your child generates with your help. I have seen many instances where the outline gets in the way of the natural flow and development of ideas.
You should do whichever works best for your child and you.
Encourage your child to think about the audience. For most school assignments, the audience will be your child’s teacher, and each teacher has his or her own preferences and expectations. If the assignment is intended for a specific audience, help your child think about what needs to be taken into account when writing for that audience.
Kaia’s (and My!) Story (continued)
My brewing research paper crisis led to a valiant attempt by the school librarian, Ms. Nelson, to help me. Ms. Nelson was kind and compassionate, and she was also good friends with Mrs. Longo.
One day, Ms. Nelson pulled me aside and said, “Daniel, you have to write something for your research class. Mrs. Longo doesn’t want to fail you. If you write anything and turn it in, she’ll give you a D.
But you have to write something for her to give you a D.”
Knowing I loved sports and history, Ms. Nelson pulled a book off the shelf and said, “Daniel, jai alai is a fascinating sport. It has ancient origins and requires excellent athleticism.” She opened the book and read a couple pages out loud to me. “Write something, anything, about jai alai so Mrs. Longo doesn’t have to flunk you.” I said, “Okay, I will.” But I didn’t. I couldn’t. Eventually, the last day of class arrived, and I didn’t have a single word to give Mrs. Longo.
I failed her class.
To this day, I still think about how much it would have pleased me to have penned a magnificent piece for Mrs. Longo. It certainly wasn’t my ambition to get an F. Without a drop of uncertainty, I can tell you
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that the hundreds of underperforming students I have worked with would have loved to have been A students too. These students are never doing poorly because they want to. They are challenged by circum-stances beyond their control and need help to get on track.
I can only imagine how different Mrs. Longo’s class would have been for me if the support I needed had been available. I feel certain I would have been able to produce a respectable paper if someone had broken down the assignment for me step by step, talked me through each task, and helped me whenever I got stuck. I was unbelievably lucky to have had the support of Ms. Nelson, but I needed so much more than encour-agement. What I needed was someone constantly by my side, mentoring me through the entire process.
Kaia’s (and My!) Story (continued)
When I approached my work with Kaia, I remembered my own experience. I wished I’d had a mentor, and that’s what I wanted to be for her. I studied her writing assignment. I carefully dissected the requirements to make sure I completely understood every facet of the assignment. Then I broke it down into step- by- step tasks, and Kaia and I drafted timelines for getting each task done. Approaching my work with Kaia in this way allowed her to not only produce an excellent research paper but also learn critical writing skills.
Writing Five- Paragraph Essays
When writing five- paragraph essays, remind your child that the first paragraph is the introductory paragraph. In addition to a main idea or thesis, an introduction should include a hook, something catchy to bring the reader in. The introduction should also provide the reader with an overview of the topic and purpose. The next three paragraphs address the thesis introduced in the first paragraph. Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence. The concluding paragraph restates the thesis and wraps up the theme of the essay. It also often includes a “so what?” statement that addresses broader implications.
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Show your child how the five- paragraph structure can be used for longer writing assignments. For example, in a research paper comparing the governmental systems of two countries, your child might be required to write five paragraphs on each country. The entire research paper will need a comprehensive introductory paragraph and a comprehensive concluding paragraph.