Eli the Boy Who Hated to Write: Understanding Dysgraphia

By Eli I. Richards and Regina G. Richards

This 2nd edition of Eli, The Boy Who Hated to Write is an expanded version of the popular earlier edition. It is enhanced to include more of Eli's adventures and a greatly expanded section for... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0966135369
• ISBN13: 9780966135367
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Ret Center Press
• Length: 132 Pages
• Weight: 0.67 lbs.
• Age Range: 6 years and up

Customer Reviews

Learning Disabilities from Both a Child and Adult Viewpoint

"Eli: The Boy Who Hated to Write" is an important book for any concerned parent dealing with a child who is having difficulty reading or writing. The book has two sections, one by Eli and one by his mother, Regina. The part by Eli Richards is a delightful and poignant account of how a young child tries to cope with school when it is frustrating to him. The part by Regina Richards, who is an educational therapist, offers strategies to parents and teachers to use when assisting a child with learning problems. Eli's stories of his struggles with learning to read and write are realistic and touching. The reader can immediately identify with a scared little boy who doesn't know how to handle his problems. His coping mechanisms are at once innocent and clever. It is obvious that his problems with schoolwork are not related to intelligence. The epilogue takes him into college and "author information" shows that he is now a successful professional. Regina's section of the book offers helpful suggestions that will encourage and inspire every parent who has had a child with a learning disability like dyslexia or dysgraphia. As parents, we often feel inadequate in making suggestions to our child's teacher since they are the educational expert. However, the strategies offered in this book will empower parents to not only help their child at home, but also to fight for their child's best interests at school. This book is a good mix of child-oriented experiences along with helpful ideas for parents and teachers to deal with the child.

Excellent

This book is great for teachers as well as parents to help them understand how a boy with a disability thinks and feels. A must read for teachers who have students with dysgraphia.

Hey Kids! Eli Understands!

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!

Hey Kids! Eli Understands!

Is writing just too hard no matter how hard you try? This is a good book to read together with mom and dad. Give a copy to your teacher! Eli knows how you feel! Parents, this book has great content to spark helpful discussion between you and your child who struggles with writing. Not only does it provide a tool for understanding the emotions behind the struggle but it provides helpful insight into the reasons for this struggle. Regina Richards has had a long and respected career as a "cutting edge" educator of children with special needs. Her knowledge on a "heart level" in helping her son, Eli, to face the challenges of dysgraphia together with her professional explanations and suggestions makes this book a must!

Learn how it feels to live with learning differences

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 lea