Gregg, N., Coleman, C., Davis, M., & Chalk, J. C. (2007). Timed essay writing: Implications for high-stakes tests . Journal of Learning Disabilities , 40 (4), 306–318. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222194070400040201

Two purposes were pursued: (a) to investigate the influence of timed essay writing on the handwritten, typed, and typed/edited formats of an expository essay on the quality scores received by students with and without dyslexia; and (b) to examine the contribution of spelling, handwriting, fluency, and vocabulary complexity to the quality scores that students with and without dyslexia received on the same writing task.

Postsecondary students with dyslexia (n=65) and without dyslexia (n=65) from the University of Georgia (U.S.) participated. All individuals were required to have passed a collegiate freshman-level English course, to affirm they had previous access to instruction in academic content.

Participants composed university-level essays on an expository writing topic within a 30-minute time frame. The time limit was established by collecting essays from the writers at the end of 30 minutes even if not complete.

Handwriting, spelling, verbosity, and vocabulary complexity accounted for the variance in scores more for students with dyslexia than for students without disabilities. These score pattern differences were reported to better understand the needs of struggling writers with dyslexia. Individual profiles of selected participants demonstrated the pattern of differences across groups. Limitations of the study were reported, and future research possibilities were suggested.