In 1967, Johnson and Myklebust stated that “a child who cannot read cannot write.” That makes sense, since some researchers, in their 2010 and 2011 studies, found that “reading and writing rely of related underlying processes.”

Just as they do with reading, most children with dyslexia have trouble with writing. This is demonstrated in a number of ways, for example, poor spelling, illegible penmanship, narrow vocabulary, weak idea development, and a lack of organization of thoughts.

You may hear a dyslexic child say, “I know what I want to say, but I just can’t write it down.”

Marianne Mullally,  an Australian educator, explains it simply:

Just like their reading can be improved with time and various strategies, the writing of dyslexics can get better with explicit instructional strategies.

Keep in mind that reading must be worked on first. Michael Clark gives parents some tips and tricks to help their dyslexic children with their writing skills:

Now, here’s a fun activity. If you are non-dyslexic, do this exercise to experience what it is like for a dyslexic to take notes:

How did you do? Please share your thoughts with us.