When screening a child for dyslexia, including an unassisted writing sample can give a window into how the child perceives language. Compare the writing sample with how an average student in the same grade expresses themselves in writing to help in sorting out true errors from situations where instruction in conventions of writing has not yet been completed.
Use the acronym CUPS to guide you in what to look for as you evaluate the writing sample. This same acronym can be used by the student to self-check their own writing.
The C of CUPS stands for capitalization. Look for all misuses of capital letters, noticing both where the capital letters are missing, and where they are incorrectly included. Does each sentence begin with a capital letter? Has the child capitalized the beginning letter of each line, but not each sentence? Are there capital letters in places that should have lowercase letters? Is the child using capital B and D to avoid reversal confusion of the lower case version of those letters? Does the child form capital letters with a larger version of the lower case letter rather than the correct capital letter formation?
Understanding is the U of CUPS. This refers to correct word order, word choices that correctly convey the intended meaning, and appropriate level vocabulary. Look for words that are close, but not quite the intended word, such as writing “fill” for “feel.” This category is also the place to note handwriting that is difficult to read. The letters may be malformed or inappropriate in size. Words may be crowded together without enough space between, or they may not be properly aligned to the lines of the paper. All of these errors are significant and worth noting.
P stands for punctuation. Check if there is basic punctuation, then if it is at the end of each sentence, or the end of each line. If there are questions, did the student use question marks, if there is a list of items, were commas used? Note the type of punctuation errors.
The S of CUPS represents spelling. Look for spelling errors, and note if the same word is misspelled in different ways on the same work sample. Spelling errors give a lot of information about how much the student understands key reading principles, such as the role of silent e, when to use ff at the end of a word, or when it is a single f. The lack of double vowels in spelling indicates that the student is probably also weak in that area when reading. High frequency words with irregular spellings are particularly problematic for students with dyslexia, and therefore are worth noting.
After the writing sample has been evaluated, you will have a snapshot of the student’s pencil and paper abilities. For a reminder of signs of dyslexia that appear in writing, refer to https:// www.cindyhallconsulting.com/post/warning-signs-of-dyslexia-1 for a list of warning signs of dyslexia at various ages.
This month’s newsletter freebie is a writing sample evaluation form to be printed and used to track errors as a writing sample is accessed. Click HERE for the freebie!
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