Kathleen Marshall & Cheryl Wissick University of South Carolina DLD Workshop State CEC February 2011

 What are evidence-based practices (Graham & Harris, 2011)?  What skills are included in written language?  What additional skills are related to written language performance?  How we can use what we know in our classrooms?

 Assessment  Identify specific areas of difficulty: fluency, syntax, vocabulary, content, conventions – assess carefully!  Progress monitoring – more info on that later!  May want to preface writing instruction with oral sharing of information for assessment & practice:  telling stories,  taping stories –  NOTE: *this will not teach written language.

 Pair instruction in reading with instruction in written language  Relationship between reading and spelling  Relationships between reading and writing expression instructional strategies:  Planning,  Main idea,  Summarizing

 Teach students transcription skills  Handwriting, spelling, typing  Experience is not enough  Practice is not enough  Direct instruction of skills

 Use word processing and related software as a primary tool for writing  Technology and UDL  Motivational role in learning written language skills  Expanding opportunities for instruction, practice, and evaluation  Multiple means for integrating additional instruction into multiple educational environments. Keyboarding Skills by Diana Hanbury-King

 Teach grammar, vocabulary, and “usage” skills  Use direct instruction  Capitalization, punctuation, nouns, adjectives, main idea, sentence structure, etc.

 Teach executive function skills  Use strategies and direct instruction  Teach summarization skills  Teach self-evaluation/self-monitoring skills  number of words written, story grammar, punctuation checklist  Goal-setting: Can move from teacher- generated to student-generated  number of words,  number of adjectives,  correct use of pronouns – gender/number,

 Teach students to plan, revise, and edit compositions  Teach existing strategies or develop your own  Have students work together to work on this process  Adapt the process approach for writing to include more direct instruction for students with disabilities in written language

 Direct Instruction: Teach foundational skills and concepts in written language  Strategy Instruction: Use, create, and teach strategies for complex skills

One skill at a timeEvaluate and practice  Select one factor/skill at a time when working with a child with numerous problems, or group skill areas (punctuation).  Incorporate self- evaluation into all instruction.  Increase productivity - at least 3 free writing sessions each week, in addition to instruction.

 Error analysis: Skill selection/Scope and sequence; 4 major strands for beginning writing  Identify categories of knowledge - concepts, strategies  Instructional Tools: Prompts or guides for teaching; Pictures, word prompts, strategies, graphic organizers, story maps

 Task Format: Gradual move from easy to difficult; selection response, completion response, generations response  Length/complexity of written product: Word, words, sentences, paragraphs, stories.  Move from easy to difficult in all categories of instruction

 When teaching paragraph writing – determine important elements of skill and teach understanding or concept of paragraph before you teach actual writing. The rule can be used to guide writing and evaluation.

 A paragraph is a group of sentences about one topic.  What is a paragraph?  A group of sentences about one topic  Preskills: concept of sentences and concept of topic

Spring is coming soon. The birds all start to sing in spring. The flowers start to bloom too. This is a paragraph. It is a group of sentences about one topic.

I have a dog named Romeo. He is a collie. Romeo likes to chase squirrels. He is a smart dog. This is a paragraph. It is a group of sentences about one topic.

I have a dog named Luke. Luke is black. Green is my favorite color. I like peaches. This is not a paragraph. It is not a group of sentences about one topic.

I like pizza. PepperoniSausage CheeseMushrooms This is not a paragraph. It is not a group of sentences about one topic.

Summer vacation is coming soon. I will go on trips to visit my family. We will go to the beach. A good thing about summer vacation is I get to read lots of good books. This is a paragraph. It is a group of sentences about one topic.

The pineapple is a sweet fruit. You can buy pineapples at the store. Pineapples come from Hawaii. This is not a paragraph. It is not a group of sentences about one topic.

 Paragraph: A group of sentences about a topic.

 A strategy is a series of steps that may include verbal associations, concepts, or rules that are designed to complete a task or solve a problem.  Examples:  Answering comprehension questions  Writing a paragraph

Note: Strategy instruction should involve teaching NO new skills - It involves linking together previously learned skills!  First, each step must be identified and pre- taught.  Identify the best way to lay out and match the steps to the student’s needs.  Decide if steps should be illustrated or stated.  If using verbal prompts, make sure they are appropriate for the student.

 Model steps of the strategy: If there are verbal steps or mental modeling, say aloud.  Leading 1: Teacher guides (orally, if necessary); Student performs steps of strategy.  Leading 2: Student performs steps of strategy and uses prompts/says verbal prompts.  Testing: Student performs steps of strategy without prompts.

 Developing quick writing skills of middle school students with disabilities (Mason, Kubina, & Taft, 2009)  Building on self-regulated strategy development (SRSD): (Graham & Harris, 2003)

Strategy Instruction including modeling, guided practice, and independent practice Self-regulation including goal-setting, self- monitoring and self- reinforcement  POW  PICK my idea  ORGANIZE my notes  WRITE and say more  TREE  TOPIC sentence  REASONS – 3 or more  EXAMINE  ENDING

 Five step study strategy Student says word Student writes & says word Check the word Write word from memory and check Repeat 5 steps  Spelling Activities?

Visualization Approach  Teacher writes word  Student reads word  Student reads letters  Student writes word  Student “takes a picture”  Student closes eyes spells word, and visualizes letters  Student writes word and checks for accuracy

Problem = No direct skill instruction & potential for reduced participation Advantage = preparing students by teaching fundamental skills first & holding students accountable  Process Approach to teaching writing  Prewriting brainstorming  Composing  Editing  Direct Instruction adaptations to Process Approach  Preteach critical skills  Focus expectations on skills taught  Gradually increase level of independence & reduce prompts.

Prewriting Composing  Selecting a topic (teacher, group, peer)  Planning (outline, illustrate plan, develop story elements - teacher guidance, group, peer-pair, individual)  Writing strategy, related vocabulary, oral presentation  Teacher guidance, group, peer/pair, individual

Revising Editing  Teacher input - Select skills for revision based on previous direct instruction, prompt, checklist  Meeting 1: Editor listens to story & reads along, makes notes - 2 questions (Is anything not clear? Where could details be added?) Discuss revisions  Meeting 2: Discuss revisions, Edit for mechanical errors, use checklist