Chapter 10: Assessing and Teaching Handwriting and Written Expression SPED 562: LD Methods

Issues with writing Incorrect letter and number formation, also called dysgraphia Difficulty or inability to write words fluently from dictation Difficulty with organization of words into meaningful thoughts Poorly formed or organized passages

Handwriting Teach positioning – Back, head, wrist, elbow, and finger placement on writing utensil – Tape paper to desk; use clipboards to assist position Fade lines on paper to help develop size, proportion and alignment Start with capitals for ease of line development Line quality

Handwriting Skills Use close pins to work on a pincer grasp Exercise to work on wrist, elbow, shoulder, and trunk strength Copying geometric forms and lines Copying previously formed letters from one specific point to the next Faded instruction from copying to freehand Faded use of adaptive paper

Written Expression Issues One’s inability to communicate in writing or a significantly lower level of written communication Characteristics of difficulty with WE – poor or illegible handwriting – poorly formed letters or numbers – excessive spelling errors – excessive punctuation errors – excessive grammar errors – sentences that lack logical cohesion – paragraphs and stories that are missing elements and that do not make sense or lack logical transitions – deficient writing skills that significantly impact academic achievement or daily life.

Teaching Writing Know the stages of writing and teach each one explicitly and even directly one at a time. Start with subject verb agreement Build in multiple nouns and verbs Teach conjunctions to combine sentences Vocabulary development improves sentence readability Teach outlining to combine ideas across sentences Teach organization using graphic organizers and outlining techniques.

Supporting Writing (Block, 2003) Prewriting – Make a list – Create a semantic map (make a list of thoughts) – Revise previous writings through reading work aloud – Ramble and write for 10 minutes or focus writing one idea for 10 minutes – Peer reading (also read to the peer) – Create sentence starters First Draft – Dictating – “Choose your own adventure” books – Dialog journals – Storytelling first then write second

Supporting writing continued (Block, 2003) Revising Process 1.Adding to the end… keep going with afterthoughts 2.Making insertions into a draft 3.Highlight the main ideas 4.Delete and rewrite – ugh – Self-Question Assessment Ideas – Feedback should be plentiful, positive and specific – Teach self-assessment about how the writer felt, what he liked the best, the least, and why he chose certain verbs or ideas

Questions Connect handwriting and written expression. How do we build handwriting ability? What is written expression and how do we assess it? Name techniques to support writing.