Features of Mastering Writing Skills by Primary School Children with General Speech Underdevelopment (Level III)

Автор: Мельникова Анастасия Максимовна

Организация: НИУ БелГу

Населенный пункт: Белгородская область, г. Старый Оскол

Abstract

The article examines the features of developing writing skills in primary school children with general speech underdevelopment (GSU, Level III). The causes of difficulties in mastering written language, types of dysgraphia and their manifestations in children with GSU are analysed. The results of an experimental study are presented. Practical recommendations for correcting writing disorders are provided.

Keywords: general speech underdevelopment, dysgraphia, writing skills, primary school children, speech therapy correction.

Introduction

The problem of writing disorders and their correction in primary school‑aged children remains relevant, especially for students with general speech underdevelopment. Difficulties in writing for such children become a serious obstacle to successfully mastering the school curriculum and often lead to a decline in academic performance.

The aim of the study is to theoretically substantiate and practically verify the effectiveness of speech therapy work aimed at correcting writing disorders in primary school children with GSU (Level III).

The object of the study is the specific features of writing in primary school children with GSU (Level III).

The subject of the study is the specifics of speech therapy work focused on correcting writing disorders in primary school children with GSU within speech therapy sessions.

The hypothesis of the study: primary school children with GSU demonstrate specific features in mastering writing skills that hinder successful acquisition of the school curriculum.

Theoretical Foundations of the Problem

Writing is a complex multi‑level process that requires the interaction of various mental, psychophysiological and linguistic mechanisms. From a linguistic perspective, it is a system of signs for recording and transmitting speech, governed by spelling rules. In Russian, these rules are based on three principles: phonemic, traditional and morphological (according to Gvozdev).

General speech underdevelopment is a group of complex speech disorders in which children experience difficulties in forming various components of the speech system, affecting both the sound and semantic aspects of speech, provided normal hearing and intelligence.

Children with GSU Level III demonstrate relatively formed conversational speech with minimal phonetic and lexical‑grammatical impairments. However, the following issues persist:

• limited vocabulary;
• impairments in sound pronunciation and phonemic hearing;
• problems with grammatical structure of speech;
• difficulties with analysis and synthesis of linguistic units.

These impairments directly affect the development of writing skills, leading to persistent errors known as dysgraphia.

According to the classification by R. I. Lalaeva, the following types of dysgraphia are distinguished:

• acoustic dysgraphia — difficulties in recognising acoustically similar sounds;
• articulatory‑acoustic dysgraphia — writing reflects defects of oral speech;
• dysgraphia based on impaired language analysis and synthesis — problems with parsing words and sentences;
• agrammatic dysgraphia — errors in the grammatical structure of speech;
• optical dysgraphia — substitution of graphically similar letters, mirror writing.

Research Methodology

An experimental study was conducted with the participation of 10 primary school children with GSU (Level III).

To diagnose the state of writing, I. N. Sadovnikova’s methodology was used, which includes the following tasks:

• copying words in handwritten and printed font;
• writing words under dictation;
• writing a sentence after a single listening;
• copying printed and handwritten text;
• performing an auditory dictation.

During the tasks, errors were recorded and divided into groups:

• errors in sound composition of words;
• lexical‑grammatical errors;
• graphical errors;
• errors in spelling rules;
• errors not yet studied in class.

The results were assessed using quantitative and qualitative criteria, allowing to determine the level of development of written speech and identify specific difficulties.

Results of the Study

The analysis of the results showed the following:

1. The best results were demonstrated by children in the following tasks:
   • copying words written in handwritten font;
   • writing letters under dictation;
   • writing a sentence after a single listening.
2. The greatest difficulties were encountered in the following tasks:
   • dictation (the highest number of errors was noted);
   • copying printed text (an increased number of graphical errors and missing letters);
   • captioning a picture with a plot (word order violations, omission of vowels and consonants).

The most frequent errors included:

• omission and substitution of letters;
• confusion of letters similar in acoustic‑articulatory features (B–P, D–T, V–F);
• substitution of groups of sibilant and hissing sounds;
• violation of word boundaries (merging several words into one);
• errors in word order within a sentence.

Eight children showed multiple errors at the level of words, phrases and sentences. Two students had errors only at the phrase level, related to impairments in the grammatical structure of speech.

Practical Recommendations

Based on the obtained data, the following recommendations can be formulated for correcting writing disorders in primary school children with GSU:

1. Developing phonemic perception and sound‑letter analysis skills:
   • exercises for distinguishing sounds (voiced/voiceless, sibilant/hissing);
   • tasks for determining the sequence of sounds in a word;
   • games for identifying vowels and consonants.
2. Forming visual‑spatial representations:
   • working with graphic images of letters (tracing, hatching);
   • exercises for recognising similar letters (b/d, p/t);
   • tasks for developing spatial orientation (‘top’, ‘bottom’, ‘right’, ‘left’).
3. Correcting lexical‑grammatical aspects of speech:
   • enriching vocabulary (selecting synonyms, antonyms);
   • exercises for agreement of words in a sentence;
   • composing sentences and short texts based on pictures.
4. Developing fine motor skills and visual‑motor coordination:
   • finger gymnastics;
   • hatching, tracing along contours;
   • graphic dictations.
5. Gradually increasing the complexity of tasks:
   • from copying to dictation;
   • gradually increasing the volume and complexity of material;
   • including creative tasks (composing stories, captions for pictures).
6. Using multisensory methods:
   • pronouncing words aloud while writing;
   • tactile perception of letters (laying out with grains, modelling with plasticine);
   • visual supports (schemes, tables).
7. Involving parents:
   • homework for reinforcing skills;
   • recommendations for organising the workspace and daily routine;
   • joint games and exercises for speech development.

Conclusion

The study results confirm that primary school children with GSU (Level III) experience significant difficulties in mastering writing skills. These difficulties are associated with underdevelopment of speech and non‑speech functions: phonemic perception, sound‑letter analysis, visual‑spatial representations and lexical‑grammatical structure of speech.

Tasks requiring independent text construction (dictation, captioning pictures) proved to be the most challenging, revealing a complex of impairments at different levels of the language system. Qualitative analysis showed that errors are persistent and affect all levels of written speech — from sound‑letter to syntactic.

Overcoming writing difficulties in primary school children with GSU is a long and multifaceted process requiring coordination of efforts by speech therapists, teachers, psychologists and parents. The key to success is timely and targeted correctional work that takes into account both linguistic and psychophysiological aspects of the problem.

Early diagnosis and a comprehensive approach to correction can significantly improve writing skills in children with GSU and contribute to their successful adaptation in the school environment.

References (can be supplemented according to publication requirements)

• Volkova G. A. Methodology of Psycho‑Pedagogical Assessment of Children with Speech Disorders. — St. Petersburg: Detstvo‑Press, 2003.
• Lalaeva R. I., Benediktova L. V. Reading and Writing Disorders in Primary Schoolchildren. — Rostov‑on‑Don; St. Petersburg: Feniks; Soyuz, 2004.
• Levina R. E. Writing Disorders in Children with Speech Underdevelopment. — Moscow, 1961.
• Sadovnikova I. N. Written Speech Disorders and Their Overcoming in Primary Schoolchildren. — Moscow: Vlados, 1997.
• Filicheva T. B., Chirkina G. V. Correctional Training for Children with General Speech Underdevelopment. — Moscow, 1993.