Dear Ruth,

I am a speech/language pathologist working with a third grade student who has severe difficulties with crossing middling. When he writes, he begins with his left hand, gets to the middle and uses both hands, then carries on with his right hand. His visual perceptual skills are poor. He makes numerous reversals in writing and reading tasks. He can usually write two or three sentence and then his writing becomes totally illegible. He is a very intelligent individual and continues to love learning. Any suggestions?

M.C.

Dear M.C.,

An Occupational Therapist might be particularly helpful for this student.
If this help is not available to him, you might begin at any point of success, rehearse that for awhile, and then extend to the next small step. So the question is, What is this student able to do accurately and consistently so far? Can he do the 'Directional Training' exercises on this site, demonstrating the ability to 'see forward?' If you begin with that, then you can extend to whole-word-matching exercises, perhaps working through the most common sight words.

Can he do a short-word 'Search and Say' exercise (see Materials section of this site)? Then extend to some longer words.

Can he copy a single alphabet letter 'forward' if you help him through the motions? Then you can gradually decrease the help until he is copying from a printed model alone; then copying whole words from a printed model; then copying from a whole-alphabet model taped to his desk.

Can he make a pencil line across the page from left to right with just one hand? Then extend to loops or X’s across the page, then letters. You get the idea.

There are no guarantees, but students have their best chance of demonstrating hidden potential when we assume that they will be able to learn the next small step, and then try it. There is no scientific basis for assuming that they will not.

Best Wishes,
Ruth Alice Jurey, M.S.
Speech/Language Pathologist