Writing Instruction, Transportation, & Setting/Environment in Special Education

Writing Instruction, Transportation, & Setting/Environment in Special Education Group 3: Adrienne King Meghan Clemente Haley Shaull

Writing Instruction • Characteristics of students with a LD shown in Writing… - reluctant to write -often becomes frustrated while writing -avoids working or sharing his/her writing with others -hurries through writing assignments -little to no planning in advance -writing quickly, difficult to have revise work

Typically children with LD develop an approach to writing that minimizes the role of planning . Often drawing any information from memory that is somewhat appropriate, writing it down and using each idea to stimulate the generation of the next one. • This retrieve-and-write process allows little attention to be directed at the needs of the audience (information or enjoyment), the focus of the topic or the organization of text and it has little impact on improving the quality of the writing. • Struggling with the mechanics of writing -poor spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and handwriting errors.

Teaching strategies that fail… • Focusing only on the teaching of lower-level writing skills, such as handwriting and spelling without giving opportunities to actually write. • Writing is emphasized, but little time is devoted to teaching needed writing skills and strategies. • Virtually no time is provided for either writing or writing instruction

Provide effective writing instruction • Deliver effective writing instruction, starting in kindergarten and 1st grade and continuing throughout the school years. -this helps to maximize the writing development of children in general -minimizes the number of children who experience writing failure as a result of poor instruction. -serves to illustrate the severity of writing difficulties experienced by children whose primary problems are not instructional, such as children with LD. Indentifying LD earlier can allow more time to help…

Tailoring writing instruction to meet the needs of children with LD • Children experiencing difficulty with literacy learning received extra teacher support • Devoting more attention to the development of critical skills, more explicit teaching of these skills, and more individually guided assistance. • Additional one-on-one assistance is provided from the teacher, adult tutors or volunteers, or older and same-age peers (including collaborative planning, writing, or revising with a peer.) • Developing personalized spelling lists and word banks to help with using correct spelling in order to focus on content.

Tailoring writing instructions to meet needs of children with LD continued • Allowing weaker writers to dictate their writing or to use a keyboard with spell check. • Teachers can facilitate the planning process by having students talk out their stories in advance of writing. • Using webs or graphic organizes to generate and sequence ideas • Drawing pictures showing what would happen in the story. • Making checklists for aid in the revision process. • Help in selecting a topic, shorter or easier writing assignments and small-group instruction

Intervene Early • Increasing interest in the use of early supplementary instruction or intervention to prevent or at least partially alleviate later writing difficulties • Writing and reading were integrated together around thematic units. Increases the opportunities to engage in meaningful writing with journals also. • Struggling writers have more opportunities earlier on and can catch up with their peers earlier, before their difficulities become more profound.

Expect that each child will learn to write • Teachers often view children with writing and learning difficulties negatively, setting low expectations for their performance and limiting their exchanges with them. -This may be seen as criticism, less attention and praise, fewer interactions with the teacher, and briefer and less informative feedback. • Students with LD can be taught to write. It comes down to designing a successful writing program by emphasizing both prevention and intervention; respond to specific needs of each child, maintain a healthy balance between meaning, process, and form; and use both formal and informal learning methods

Transportation • Accommodations for transportation must be stated in the IEP • Wheel chair lifts or medical needs during transportation (medicine, de-escalation of anxiety or anger). • Cameras on special needs buses- invasion of privacy or legitimate observations to assure proper delegation of IEP. • Discourages problem behavior, provides general safety information, enables bus officials to properly monitor, easier recording of problem behavior which makes it easier to monitor the effectiveness of BIP, and recorded behavior can be used as evidence for the student’s typical behavior. • Accommodating a student who walks to school- ensure safe route and student’s physical well-being must be considered.

Setting/Environment • Utilize a multi-modal teaching approach to appeal to each students’ preferred learning style: • Visual • Auditory • Kinesthetic

Setting/Environment • Physical Environment: • Provide a study carrel or private area for individual work. • Eliminate unnecessary materials from student’s desk. • Keep an extra supply of pencils, pens, books, and paper in the classroom. • Arrange a designated safe place that the student can go to if needed.

Setting/Environment • Physical Environment: • Define a specific place for turning in assignments. • Develop and display classroom rules, consequences, and rewards. Review them frequently. • Reduce visual distractions.

Setting/Environment • Time Management and Transitions: • Post a checklist and/or schedule. • Create short work periods with breaks. • Provide additional time to complete assignments. • Inform students of deadlines using several reminders. • Have an agreed upon cue for students to leave the room. • Allow frequent breaks.

Writing Instruction, Transportation, & Setting/Environment in Special Education