How Print and Cursive Instruction Can Support Students with Dyslexia or Dysgraphia

For most students, handwriting becomes easier and more automatic with practice. Yet some students find handwriting exhausting. They may have plenty of ideas to share but struggle to get those thoughts onto paper. Forming individual letters, writing sentences, and finishing assignments can take a long time, cause frustration, and erode confidence.

Research suggests that dyslexia affects about 5–17% of students, while dysgraphia may affect 5–20% of school-age children. Having dyslexia or dysgraphia doesn’t mean a student can’t learn to write. It means they may need different strategies and additional support to develop their writing skills.

Students who have these learning differences benefit from intentional, developmentally appropriate handwriting instruction. By providing explicit instruction and guided practice in both print and cursive, teachers can strengthen the foundational writing skills of students with these learning differences.

What Are Dyslexia and Dysgraphia?

Dyslexia and dysgraphia are neurological conditions that can occur together, but they are two different lifelong learning differences.

• Dyslexia primarily affects accurate and fluent word reading, decoding, and spelling. A student may have difficulty mapping speech sounds to letters, automatically recognizing words, or retrieving spelling patterns when writing.
• Dysgraphia primarily affects a student’s handwriting and ability to produce written language. Despite handwriting instruction, a student may have difficulty with letter formation, handwriting fluency, spelling, and the processes involved in getting thoughts onto paper.

Both learning differences can affect skills students rely on when writing. Students with dyslexia may struggle with connecting sounds to letters, recalling spelling patterns, and spelling words accurately. Students with dysgraphia may have difficulty forming letters consistently, controlling pencil movements, maintaining appropriate spacing, and writing at a comfortable speed.

How Do Dyslexia and Dysgraphia Affect Handwriting?

Both dyslexia and dysgraphia affect students’ writing, but the reasons are not always the same. According to the International Dyslexia Association, students with dysgraphia may struggle with orthographic coding, which involves holding written letter patterns in working memory. They may also have difficulty planning the sequential finger movements required for handwriting.

For some students, dyslexia and dysgraphia overlap. A student may know exactly what they want to say but struggle to spell the words, form the letters, or write quickly enough to capture their thoughts. Understanding which skills are causing difficulty helps teachers choose more targeted instruction and support.

As occupational therapist and handwriting expert Katrina Erickson explained during an episode of Literacy Matters: Empowered Conversations, students with dysgraphia know what they want to say, but it takes them a long time to write it down.
 

“It is not a reflection of their intelligence [or] their academic abilities. It is a struggle in getting the information back out.”

— Katrina Erickson, occupational therapist and handwriting expert

For other students, writing challenges extend beyond handwriting. Students may also experience difficulties with spelling, working memory, and organizing thoughts on the page.

How Intentional Handwriting Instruction Supports Students With Dyslexia or Dysgraphia

Intentional handwriting instruction supports students with dyslexia or dysgraphia by explicitly teaching letter formation. Handwriting Without Tears guides teachers in making handwriting instruction intentional through developmentally sequenced lessons, explicit modeling, and hands-on, multisensory activities that support both print and cursive writing.

For example, students learning print can use Wood Pieces to build capital letters with simple lines and curves before learning to write them. This hands-on approach helps students understand letter shapes and formation patterns while building the foundational skills they need for manuscript writing.

In its instructional sequence, Handwriting Without Tears groups letters with similar formation patterns, such as the Magic C letters: c, a, d, and g. Teachers then model shared movements, guiding students through tracing and writing each letter. This structured approach helps students build on familiar movements as they develop handwriting skills.

Should Students With Learning Differences Become Proficient in Print Before Learning Cursive?

Students should be able to recognize and read printed letters, but they don’t have to master manuscript handwriting before starting cursive, Erickson explained. Teachers might consider pivoting to cursive for a student with dysgraphia in Grade 2 or Grade 3, depending on the student’s readiness and needs.

Cursive should not replace print instruction, nor is every student ready to start cursive at the same age. Teachers need to consider each student’s reading skills, motor development, and response to handwriting instruction. The goal is to help students communicate more effectively, not to add more frustration.

Whether teaching cursive or print, educators should provide clear, step-by-step, multisensory handwriting instruction. For students with dyslexia or dysgraphia, teachers may need to spend more time modeling writing, offering guided practice, and providing targeted support.

Ways to Make Cursive Instruction Easier for All Students

• Use explicit modeling and guided repetition.

  Model each cursive letter clearly, showing where the movement starts, the direction of the pencil, and how letters join. Break complex movements into smaller steps and provide plenty of opportunities for repeated practice. Give specific feedback rather than expecting students to determine the correct way to form letters independently.

• Embed multisensory practice.

  Before students begin writing with a pencil, give them opportunities to experience letter movements in other ways. Students can trace letters with their fingers, make large cursive movements in the air, use a chalkboard, or say the movements aloud as they write. Learning Without Tears recommends the Wet-Dry-Try activity, which uses multiple senses to reinforce letter formation.

• Provide appropriate writing materials.

  The surfaces and tools students use can affect the quality of their handwriting. Some students may benefit from specialized paper, clear guides, a different pencil size, or pencil grips, depending on their needs. Drew recommends using the same materials during lessons and independent work.

• Keep practice short and purposeful.

  Students with dysgraphia may fatigue easily during handwriting work. Short, focused practice sessions are likely to be more effective for skill development. Erickson recommends making practice meaningful and enjoyable.
   

“Keep it short, keep it memorable, keep it fun, and tie it to their interest.”

— Katrina Erickson, occupational therapist and handwriting expert
 

• Students could practice the cursive letters in their names, write favorite words, or compose a short message about something that interests them.

• Limit how much students must copy.

  If the lesson focuses on learning a cursive letter or connection, students shouldn’t have to copy long passages. Instead, they should focus on the writing skills being taught. Teachers can give students more time, reduce the amount of writing, or offer other ways to respond so students can participate without becoming overly fatigued.

How Cursive Writing Helps Students With Dysgraphia

Teaching cursive can give students with learning differences another way to form letters and write words. Unlike manuscript printing, cursive keeps the pencil moving. For some children who struggle with motor planning or handwriting fluency, the connected flow of cursive may offer a more predictable movement pattern.

During her podcast conversation, Erickson explained that cursive enables students to write a word with fewer pencil lifts, reducing the number of separate motions they must plan and execute.
 

“In my experience, teaching cursive is one of the best things we can do for them.”

— Katrina Erickson, occupational therapist and handwriting expert
 

Cursive can also help students with word spacing. Because letters are joined within cursive words, the spaces between words stand out more clearly. This can help students who struggle to maintain consistent spacing or form words correctly.

Supporting Students With Dyslexia or Dysgraphia

For students with handwriting difficulties, success shouldn’t be measured only by their ability to complete worksheets or write more neatly. Teachers and families need to understand the reasons behind a student’s writing challenges and identify the best ways to help that student succeed.

Drew explained that teachers can support student growth in several ways. Support might include introducing a new handwriting strategy, giving students additional time, changing their writing materials, or allowing students to demonstrate their knowledge using technology.
 

“It’s important to remember that a student’s ideas are often much more advanced than their handwriting shows.”

— Jaime Drew, district reading specialist
 

Helping Every Student Build Stronger Handwriting Skills

Students with dyslexia or dysgraphia can become successful writers when they receive instruction and support that addresses their individual needs. When teachers combine explicit instruction with targeted interventions, they can help students overcome writing challenges.

Handwriting Without Tears supports the writing process with intentional, developmentally appropriate handwriting instruction that combines explicit teaching with multisensory activities and guided practice in both print and cursive. This approach helps students confidently build foundational handwriting skills.

Discover how Handwriting Without Tears uses intentional instruction to give students opportunities to build fluency, confidence, and independence in writing.