Writing is perhaps one of the most important skills to develop at university. Writing for assignments (and exams) is a principle means of assessment and of deepening subject-knowledge and understanding. Writing also helps to foster transferable skills such as research-, critical thinking- and communication- skills. Developing writing takes time, practice and perseverance, particularly if you are a student with an SpLD - but it is well worth the effort as it will save you time, and enable you to achieve better grades in the long run.
According to Price (2007), writing is difficult for students with dyslexia/SpLD because:
It involves planning and working interchangeably between large- and small-scale levels of writing. (Large scale refers to the overall structure of the text, its form or genre, and the writing process as a whole. Small-scale, on the other hand, refers to the components of text, such as paragraph and sentence structure.)
This complexity is especially challenging for students with dyslexic/SpLD's. For example, a fragile working memory can make it difficult to hold in mind and manipulate large amounts of information at any one time. Processing differences may also make multi-tasking and sequencing difficult. According to Godwin (2012) if you are dyslexic:
Writing at university can take many different forms, from discursive essays to informative reports, brief summarising paragraphs to dissertations of ten or even twenty thousand words.
Whatever the genre, the topics you are writing about are always likely to be more complex than any previous writing you have done. So it's even more important that your writing is focused, clear and controlled if you want to successfully communicate your understanding to your reader.
Tips for focused, clear and controlled written communication:
Make a plan: Even in exams, you will find that spending a little time on planning will make a big difference to your writing. You won't have to stop and think what to write about next and you'll make sure that you don't forget anything important. Plus you'll have a chance to consider how to make your strongest argument.
Note that in university essays, it is best not to use an 'all the arguments for, then all the arguments against' structure. To properly discuss more complex topics, you need to use a thematic structure. Look for themes or headings to group your points under, and choose no more than four to give you enough space to develop your ideas properly.
Write in paragraphs: A paragraph is a unit of information, at least three sentences long. It should develop your discussion of a single point. Start with a sentence that states the point and shows its relevance to the overall topic. Then develop this point with analysis that shows:
Make sure you have references to show where you got your ideas from. Any idea that comes from your reading needs to be referenced, even if you don't use a direct quote.
Write shorter sentences: Use plain language - you don't have to search for a more "academic-sounding" word when a simple one will do. Markers are looking for clear and accurate expression of ideas, not jargon or confusing language. Shorter sentences are usually clearer than long complex ones, but make sure it is a whole sentence and not just a clause or phrase.
Keep a list of referencing examples: Referencing can be confusing and difficult to remember. But it's tedious to have to keep looking up how to reference things. Early in the semester, before you have a lot of assignments to do, make a list of examples. Choose one example of each of these most common formats:
Check the style of referencing you are expected to use for each department you have modules in (it will be in the Course Handbook on Blackboard). If they are different, make more than one list of examples but mark them up clearly so you know which modules they apply to.
Look out for common mistakes: If there's a word you know you often get wrong, or something you frequently get comments on from markers, make a note. Keep a list and use this as a first checklist when you are proof reading.
Proof reading and editing: