Eli, the boy who hated to write: understanding dysgraphia [Paperback]

Regina G. Richards (Author), Eli I. Richards (Author), Judy Love (Author), Lynn Craven (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2000

Dysgraphia is often misunderstood by parents, teachers, and students. This book is designed to present a student's view of the struggles and frustrations, while also presenting hope and specific strategies and compensations. Students (particularly elementary and middle school ages) will enjoy reading about Eli's adventures. Parents and professionals will gain insight into some of the issues, particularly feelings, students may have related to having a significant writing problem, dysgraphia. Throughout the story, Eli describes his feelings about the issue of writing and the reactions of his peers and teachers. After a significant adventure, Eli and his friends realize that everyone is different with different combinations of strengths and weaknesses. Several appendices include actual stories written by Eli in elementary school and a list of specific strategies for students with writing problems. An epilogue presents an Allegory written by Eli in college.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Did you ever have a job where there was one solitary task that you abhorred or dreaded? Perhaps it was a monthly accounting report or an annual inventory project. You constantly dreaded the day that your superior entered your office to announce that it was time to approach this distasteful and fear-filled activity. You were anxious, frightened and disheartened. This is the way that Eli Richards and every child who struggles with dysgraphia felt each time he heard a teacher say the dreaded words, Everyone take out a piece of paper...I want you to write a composition...
Eli is a bright student with an extensive repertoire of interests and talents. He has a rich and vibrant vocabulary and an impressive fund of background information and facts. He is wonderfully creative and has earned the respect and affection of all who know him because of his innovative view of life. But he couldn t write. Every aspect of the writing process handwriting, note taking, spelling, syntax, semantics, word choice, etc. was a mystery for him. His fluency and fluidity with language came to a frightening and screeching halt whenever he sat in front of a blank piece of paper with a pen in hand. As he progressed through the grades, composition skills became increasingly important...and increasingly frustrating and frightening.
But Eli's story is not merely a tale of failure and struggle. It is also a story of support, faith and small victories. Eli's school life had detractors and demons...but he also had defenders and champions.
As I read of Eli's struggles, I was reminded that as in the fairy tales one caring, devoted adult can save the life of a child. Dysgraphia is among the least understood aspects of learning disorders. This complex problem has a confusing collection of symptoms and manifestations. These children wrestle daily with a Gordian knot of attention problems, memory difficulties, language deficiencies and idiosyncratic thought processes. Often, the professionals in the child s life will deal with the individual symptoms of Dysgraphia, but they fail to understand (or remediate) the disorder in its entirety. They assist with the symptoms without confronting the problem in any way. As a result, their interventions are often unsuccessful and the child s frustrations become more profound. Eli The Boy Who Couldn't Write puts a human face on this puzzling disorder. In a charming and insightful narrative, Eli tells of his daily frustrations and his creative attempts to avoid and later, self-remediate his writing problems. You feel as if you are sitting next to Eli in the classroom as he faces his daily challenges. Eli's story of fear, frustration and failure enables the reader to gain a genuine understanding or the problems that Eli confronted daily. But the book is not only about struggles...it also offers solutions. At the conclusion of Eli's narrative...the calvary arrives offering practical advice for how we can assist the dysgraphic child in the classroom and at home.
Eli's mother Regina, has come to be recognized as one of the nation s foremost experts on this puzzling disorder. She provides a detailed but understandable list of dysgraphia's symptoms and etiology. As you read her outline, you will come to recognize the dysgraphic students in your own classroom. Beyond merely identifying the disorder, Regina offers field-tested strategies and approaches to use with the child. By combining her unparalleled experiences as a teacher, consultant and researcher with her experiences as Eli's Mom,she is able to approach this task with the mind of a professional...and the heart of a parent. An unbeatable combination. As you read Eli's story, allow his compelling words to solidify your commitment to the children in your life who fight the writing dragon daily. --Richard D. Lavoie

Some of these experiences are heartbreaking. They show the pain a child is in. Hopefully, these occurrences will open the eyes of many teachers and parents who have not had the opportunity to explore this issue. Eli's interests tell us about his personality and his wonderful creativity. I have a great picture of who Eli is: I get a great sense of his tenderness, and, in walking through a day with him, I feel his joys and his pain. --Marsha Sanborn --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Author

Eli and I wrote Eli, the boy who hated to write to share easy-to-use strategies to help students who experience the frustrating problem of dysgraphia. The strategies suggested are designed to be fun, practical, and easy to implement and are appropriate for regular education or special education teachers as well as parents. The prime focus of the book is to also share the very real frustrations that these students experience, to show other students that they are not alone, to explain the issue to parents and teachers, and to present suggestions for strategies.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• ISBN-10: 0966135334
• ISBN-13: 978-0966135336
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,616,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learn how it feels to live with learning differences, January 22, 2001

By 

Dindy Wheelock, speech/language therapist (Riverside, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eli, the boy who hated to write: understanding dysgraphia (Paperback)

I enjoyed the book, Eli: The Boy Who Hated to Write, and gained some important insights into the lives of those who struggle with learning difficulties. As I began to read this book I realized that it is a must-read for anyone working with children, whether it be in the role of teacher or parent. Once I had finished it, I recognized that this is a story everyone can enjoy and benefit from reading. On the surface, the book tells a story that is written for children who learn differently, especially the dysgraphic child, but there is so much more to gain from it. The plot follows the trials, tribulations and triumphs of one such student, Eli, who experienced problems in school due to his difficulties with writing and spelling. Although he had many creative ideas, his dysgraphia interfered and his written stories were abbreviated versions of the wonderful stories he had in his head. To add to his problems, his teachers and fellow classmates didn't understand his learning differences and felt that he just didn't try hard enough-he was a messy writer or was stupid. With the help of his parents, Eli tried to explain his frustrations to his teachers and thus was able to help design a plan that gave him some options for times when he felt frustrated in school. Eli still felt that some fellow students didn't understand him and made fun of his difficulties. Through an adventure in finding his way out of a cave, Eli used his special gifts and at the same time saved the class bully from his fear of being lost. Eli, his mother, and a special imaginary friend, a gnome, helped teach his friends that we all learn differently and have special gifts or talents. This is a clever way of teaching positive self-talk. This book shares so much with the reader at so many levels. It exposes one to the hurt, frustrations, and feelings of poor self-worth that a child (or adult) has when he or she experiences learning differences. It teaches us to seek and find the talents that each person possesses and to praise each other and ourselves for those strengths. It demonstrates how we as teachers and parents need to help children feel important and provide opportunities for each child to succeed. We also need to give each child their own special "gnome" (positive self-talk) so they recognize their gifts and draw upon them whenever necessary. These same lessons can be applied to adults-we all need to recognize the talents we possess. The book concludes with some great stories written by Eli, which demonstrate his sensitivity toward others and their differences, as well as his creative skills. The end of the book also includes practical recommendations for parents and teachers to help students who have difficulty with written language tasks. Every teacher (special education as well as regular education) should read this book. Every parent of a child who struggles with writing or another aspect of academics should read this book. Most important, every student who struggles with learning should have this book read to him or her. I enjoyed Eli: The Boy Who Hated to Write and gained important insights into the lives of those who struggle with learning difficulties.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A book your own dysgraphic child can relate to, January 20, 2001

By 

Eve Engelbrite (Chandler, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eli, the boy who hated to write: understanding dysgraphia (Paperback)

Regina Richards' astute understanding of dysgraphia is displayed in the milestones she and her son share from his school years. As I read it, I mentally noted similarities with my dysgraphic son. After my son read it, he proudly pointed out the same things: directional memory and love of animals and fish. Knowing another has successfully gone through school with dysgraphia has encouraged our family.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hey Kids! Eli Understands!, February 14, 2001

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eli, the boy who hated to write: understanding dysgraphia (Paperback)

Kids, Eli knows how it feels to try and try to write and never make it. Do you ever feel like that? Read this book together with your mom and dad or give a copy to your teacher so they will understand you better, too.

Regina Richards is a creative and compassionate educator who shares her expertise as well as her heart. She writes this book with her son, Eli, who knows first hand what struggling with writing is all about. The gift of their compassion, practical hints and insights is wrapped up in this brief book. It's an excellent book to spark healing discussion with your child! Give a copy to a teacher!