Case
Handwriting dilemma

Billy is a sophomore in high school and struggles with handwriting. When ever there is a writing assignment he tries his best to complete the work however, the teacher takes off points because she is unable to legibly read his writing. How should Billy approach the teacher for help so his grades do not suffer?

Posted on: 10/02/15 | Views: 1376
Solution #1
Top Solution
I would defiantly have Billy try typing his work on the computer, if a computer is not available I would have Billy practice his handwriting with individual letters and work his way up to words, phrases,and so on. If Billy has a hard time typing, I would change the settings on the computer to where he can voice to text.

The teacher should look into assistive technology the student may use in each of his classes. If the student's handwriting is illegible in one class it is probably illegible in all of his classes. A portable word processor would allow the student to take a lightweight keyboard to each of his classes and type his assignments. A portable device such as the Forte Word Processor can eliminate the student's struggling with his handwriting and the corresponding low grades because it is illegible.

I agree that typing assignments should be an option for Billy, because it wont get better over night. He should also recieve help for improving his hand wrting skills.

The computer should be an option for this student. Great suggestion!

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Solution #2
Maybe the teacher can allow Billy to type his assignments whenever possible. Also, other modifications can be made, when feasible, such as oral assignments or alternative ways to assess understanding of the concepts such as drawing, projects, presentations, or building a model.

I appreciate the usage of other forms of assessment besides handwritten assignments. There are lots of ways for the student to show his understanding.

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Solution #3
Billy can submit assignments electronically, oral submissions and/or videos. To help Billy with his handwriting, he should be given additional practice at home. It is important that he have handwriting that is legible.

if I were in this situation, I would exactly do this. He needs to learn how to write and not always rely on technology.

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Solution #4
If I were Billy, I would make a great effort to let the teacher know that he is really struggling with his handwriting. I would also ask the teacher if he or she could come up with any solutions to improve my handwriting. This will at least let the teacher know that you are making the effort to improve your handwriting.
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Solution #5
I would encourage Billy to type his assignments. In order to legibly read his writing whatever work that is done in class he can take it home and type it. If his typing skills are poor then I would encourage his parents to get him a program like Dragon and he can read in his assignments and the program will type it. I think this is a good solution and if he has family support then it would be good for the teacher and the student.
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Solution #6
Instead of handwriting the assignments or typing them, I would have Billy use a speech to text software program so he can see what he is saying being written down, as well as the teacher seeing it. This will help Billy's self-esteem and the teacher will be able to grade his work and know for sure that it is his original work.

This is a great solution.

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Solution #7
For starters, this question addresses how Billy should approach the teacher for help when, in fact, it should be the teacher who reaches out to the student with helpful solutions or strategies to overcome this issue. I would suggest additional training and practice in writing if the student would like that. Otherwise, I would suggest allowing him to complete his work in another form such as typewriting with available technology.
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Solution #8
Billy should speak to the teacher and ask what his options are as far as how he can improve his grade average in their class. Whether this is with the assistance of technology in the classroom or being allowed to type assignments at home is up to the teacher. Billy may also want to approach their teacher about where he could go in the school for assistance with his handwriting woes.
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Solution #9
I would still have Billy write as best as he can and then have him record himself reading it so I can listen to it while I read it.
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Solution #10
I would offer Billy the solution of submitting their work through email or canvas or blackboard if the school uses them. We are at an age in time where technology is taking over.
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Solution #11
I would give him writing help worksheets where he will trace on how to write.
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Solution #12
Billy should work with an occupational therapist to help with his handwriting. Handwriting should be legible at this point.
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Solution #13
Billy could ask the teacher if he could type some of his assignments rather than hand writing them if it is an issue. Billy could also take the time to see if he could practice his handwriting on his own time.
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Solution #14
I would begin by having the parents get involved. They can suggest solutions and explain to the teacher this is something Billy is working on. They can ask if Billy can type his assignments, instead of handwriting them. I would also give Billy worksheets to practice his handwriting. It is very difficult to change your penmanship after years of having the same one. I would also look into it to see if Billy is rushing to complete his assignments resulting in sloppier writing.
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Solution #15
I would suggest asking if it is possible for Billy's assignments to be typed instead of hand written. This would allow for Billy to still complete assignments and them be legible for the teacher.
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Solution #16
I would try to find out why he struggles with writing, and go from there. Try to practice with him or suggest that he practices at home. If this isn't helping, definitely see if he can type his assignments opposed to handwriting them, or even having a writing conference with his teacher where he reads the paper to her.
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Solution #17
If possible I would have Billy* complete his assignments by typing them on the computer. In the past I have seen students complete writing print activities. In this activity they first practice tracing and writing letters and numbers and then they try re-writing a provide sentence or paragraph that was pre-written by the teacher for an example. Sine Billy* is in high school, I would suggest working with him on his hand writing privately and he could possible complete these practices at home. This way he does not become embarrassed or other students do not make fun of or bully him about it.
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Solution #18
As a 10th grader Billy has had this issue for years and the teacher should know the he may have problems with his motor skills. I would use my discretion as a teacher and let him type his assignment. Taking away points seems pointless and this teacher should remember that as a teacher we should be more compassionate.
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Solution #19
Suggest Billy seek additional support with writing skills. It's important he learns how to write but for longer writing assignments allow a computer to be used.
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Solution #20
I would suggest that Billy discusses alternative ways to complete writing assignments such as typing up the assignment rather than writing it out.
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Solution #21
He needs to just talk to the teacher and express his difficulties. Honestly, the teacher should have approached him already about it being his grades are suffering from it. But him talking to the teacher should help out a lot.
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