To finish out the week, I am going to make a simplistic point, but one that I think is often forgotten.
Development rules.
To illustrate, let’s forget disabilities for second. Let’s say your 7 year old is one of those Science Channel kids who knows everything about everything – you know, swamps, reptiles, dinosaurs, and planets just to start. Your family and friends are amazed by his encyclopedic knowledge.
Yet, you wonder if he doesn’t have a disability like “dysgraphia” because the teacher noted, “His writing just doesn’t reflect his knowledge.”
Of course it doesn’t. It’s a rare smart 7 year old whose writing can match his/her knowledge base.
Froom what I can tell, since writing has been a part of the school curriculum, 7 or 8 year olds were never expected to be able to produce extensively in written expression. One good, well-constructed paragraph with a few complete sentences was always the developmental capability of these kids. (Think back to the Mother’s day letters you used to write your mother in elementary school. Maybe she’s saved some and you should read them again to remind yourself.)
The fact that the child can talk a “blue streak” about lizards, ecosystems and planets is irrelevant. Development in writing takes a long time to catch up to the child’s knowledge.
Take Away Point:
Think development first before wondering about “dysgraphia.”