If you had difficulty reading the handwriting of your adult students ...

[BamaTanya]

What would you do?

 

Suppose using a computer was not an option (in-class discussion questions on a test, for example)?

 

What if the student's printing wasn't any easier to read?

 

What if the writing was legible, but microscopic?

 

I am flexible. I taught first grade for 8 years and can decipher pretty well. :D I have dc with special needs. I do not ever want handwriting to get in the way of academic success.

 

I just don't know what to do.

 

If I were to ask a student to rewrite something that was on a test, it's possible the rewritten version would be a new improved version. This wouldn't be fair to the other students.

 

Any ideas? I want to handle my work, including grading, professionally, and without embarrassing the student(s).

 

 

tia

[Kebo]

Ask the student to read his/her answer to you.

[BamaTanya]

Ask the student to read his/her answer to you.

 

Yes, of course, that makes sense. I'd have to ask him/her to speak with me after class. I wonder if it would embarrass a college student?

 

Maybe a small dose of embarrassment would make a difference in future writing . . .

[Jean in Newcastle]

If it is microscopic, would a magnifying glass work?

[Kebo]

Yes, of course, that makes sense. I'd have to ask him/her to speak with me after class. I wonder if it would embarrass a college student?

 

Maybe a small dose of embarrassment would make a difference in future writing . . .

 

It might cause some mild embarrassment, but if handled matter of factly it ought to be minor.

 

If the handwriting is that bad, this won't be the first time it has come up. Or the last.

[Night Elf]

It might be embarrassing but I would also let this student know that future in-class assignments must be legible so that you may grade them properly. Helping him this one time seems fine but I can't see it happening on a regular basis, unless he has some kind of approved modification for special needs.

 

This is something that worries me tremendously about ds15 with Aspergers. He can't write more than a few sentences without feeling like his hand is going to fall off, and his writing isn't great. He writes so slowly that he is going to have great difficulty in completing in-class assignments. I'm going to show him this post to show him that I'm not just making this up.

[kiana]

I had a (college) student who fractured his writing hand.

 

He was an excellent student and did not require extra time (I offered) but chose to complete the exams writing with his non-dominant hand.

 

I took his exam like anyone else's, read through it, circled the words I couldn't guess, and had him come to office hours to tell me what they said.

[Ester Maria]

Refuse to read it unless they can write legibly. It does not have to be a beautiful handwriting, but it is VERY reasonable to ask it be legible. You are not supposed to waste time deciphering illegible writing.

 

If the writing is poor due to a physical disability, then there would probably be another arrangements in place already (typing, etc.). So probably not.

 

Put your foot down and refuse to read it or grade it.

[Dana]

Refuse to read it unless they can write legibly. It does not have to be a beautiful handwriting, but it is VERY reasonable to ask it be legible. You are not supposed to waste time deciphering illegible writing.

 

If the writing is poor due to a physical disability, then there would probably be another arrangements in place already (typing, etc.). So probably not.

 

Put your foot down and refuse to read it or grade it.

 

:iagree:

 

But I'd check with your department chair first to see what your school's policy is. If you don't have support, you may need to have the student read it to you. At most, I'd give one warning and then refuse to read the next time.

[In The Great White North]

Refuse to read it unless they can write legibly. It does not have to be a beautiful handwriting, but it is VERY reasonable to ask it be legible. You are not supposed to waste time deciphering illegible writing.

 

If the writing is poor due to a physical disability, then there would probably be another arrangements in place already (typing, etc.). So probably not.

 

Put your foot down and refuse to read it or grade it.

 

:iagree: If the teacher can't read it, it's wrong.

[Chris in VA]

It might be embarrassing but I would also let this student know that future in-class assignments must be legible so that you may grade them properly. Helping him this one time seems fine but I can't see it happening on a regular basis, unless he has some kind of approved modification for special needs.

 

This is something that worries me tremendously about ds15 with Aspergers. He can't write more than a few sentences without feeling like his hand is going to fall off, and his writing isn't great. He writes so slowly that he is going to have great difficulty in completing in-class assignments. I'm going to show him this post to show him that I'm not just making this up.

 

My Aspie has something called "Automatic Processing Disorder." It just means that it takes longer to reach automaticity in certain skills--he wrote slowly until he had to do a lot of writing, and he had to "think" about tying his shoes (not "automatic") for years. Lots of practice helped. Does yours have something like this? (You don't have to answer :001_smile: just sharing and wondering.)

[Ellie]

:iagree: If the teacher can't read it, it's wrong.

:iagree:

[swellmomma]

Refuse to read it unless they can write legibly. It does not have to be a beautiful handwriting, but it is VERY reasonable to ask it be legible. You are not supposed to waste time deciphering illegible writing.

 

If the writing is poor due to a physical disability, then there would probably be another arrangements in place already (typing, etc.). So probably not.

 

Put your foot down and refuse to read it or grade it.

 

:iagree: I know that all my college profs were the same, my sister is the same with her students and I am with my own kids. If the student has special needs that prevent this there is services available through the student services to help that, but it is not an unreasonable expectation that you can not grade illegible work. At college level it is coddling to do anything other than put your foot down on this imo.

[swellmomma]

My Aspie has something called "Automatic Processing Disorder." It just means that it takes longer to reach automaticity in certain skills--he wrote slowly until he had to do a lot of writing, and he had to "think" about tying his shoes (not "automatic") for years. Lots of practice helped. Does yours have something like this? (You don't have to answer :001_smile: just sharing and wondering.)

 

I have never heard of this before, but my ds is like that. Even now at 13.5 he still has to think through ever step of tieing his shoes, it has only been since last summer that he didn't have to think through the skills of riding his bike (he was "late" in learning how to ride in the first place). The only think he can do almost automatically is play his video games it seems. Off to do some googling. How did you get a Dx for that?

[TranquilMind]

I agree. You are doing the student a favor by bringing it up. I'd tell him/her that legible handwriting MUST occur or you will not be able to give credit for something you cannot decipher, and I'd also tell him about your background, so it is pretty clear that it isn't you.

 

Sometime, somewhere, this is going to be a huge disadvantage for this student. I'd let him read the answers to you this time, and then insist that it be legible, even if he has to print.

[athena1277]

:iagree: If the teacher can't read it, it's wrong.

 

I say this to my 3rd grader all the time! I hope she figures out that she must write neatly before she gets to college!

[elegantlion]

I do this to ds, hand him back the paper. He's had warnings. If this student has not had warnings, I would probably ask him to read it once, then write on the paper (so they don't forget) that next time you can't read it, it will be wrong.

 

My ds is slow writer, it's hard for him. But I expect name, date, and legibility on all worked turned in. He's getting better.

[Laurie4b]

What would you do?

 

Suppose using a computer was not an option (in-class discussion questions on a test, for example)?

 

What if the student's printing wasn't any easier to read?

 

What if the writing was legible, but microscopic?

 

I am flexible. I taught first grade for 8 years and can decipher pretty well. :D I have dc with special needs. I do not ever want handwriting to get in the way of academic success.

 

I just don't know what to do.

 

If I were to ask a student to rewrite something that was on a test, it's possible the rewritten version would be a new improved version. This wouldn't be fair to the other students.

 

Any ideas? I want to handle my work, including grading, professionally, and without embarrassing the student(s).

 

 

tia

 

Thanks so much for your attitude! As the mother of a child with special needs, including difficulty with handwriting, I appreciate it so much. Not all kids with special needs get accommodations. Some are too embarrassed to ask; others may not have had the appropriate testing to demonstrate the need.

 

As a pp suggested, I think asking the student to come to your office and read the exam to you would be appropriate for the first time. You could photocopy it so that he could read it while you were actually grading it. You could ask him at that point how difficult it would be for him to write more legibly. I would trust a student to be able to tell me whether he could or couldn't at that point.

 

For microscopic writing, they sell sheets of magnifying plastic that you can lay over a page. It's for older folk who need reading glasses I guess, but it's very inexpensive. You should be able to buy a sheet at an office supply store. I'm guessing it's a couple dollars. ( I have older students without special needs who do write very small. They could probably change their writing, but I am guessing that would slow them down, too, to have to think about the handwriting AND think about the test prompt. )

[Lolly]

Yes, of course, that makes sense. I'd have to ask him/her to speak with me after class. I wonder if it would embarrass a college student?

 

Maybe a small dose of embarrassment would make a difference in future writing . . .

 

It depends on the cause of the problem. If he is capable of writing more legibly, it might. If he isn't, it won't make one bit of difference in future assignments. Dd was unable to write last semester. (Surgery seems to have fixed the problem, thank goodness!) Sometimes, you just have to allow someone else to do the writing for them. I would get someone who is uninvolved in the situation and have them write it for him. In fact, I might just do it myself immediately after class if possible.