Dr. Joanne Robertson July 23 2014 Hong Kong

1. Thematic Course on Supporting Students with SEN – Cognition and Learning NeedsDifferentiated Writing Strategies for Students with Learning Disabilities Dr. Joanne Robertson July 23 2014 Hong Kong

2. Differentiating instruction Differentiated instruction may be conceptualized as a teacher’s response to the diverse learning needs of a student. (Tomlinson, 1999, 2001).

5. Why do we need to differentiate writing instruction? • Written language is a powerful and versatile vehicle for learning, communication, and thought, an all-terrain vehicle in many ways. Writing can transport students with developmental disabilities to richer participation in social, academic, and employment environments. The more severe or multiple the disabilities, the more important this form of transportation. Sturm & Koppenhaver (2000)

6. Signs of dysgraphia • Generally illegible writing (despite appropriate time and attention given the task • Inconsistencies : mixtures of print and cursive, upper and lower case, or irregular sizes, shapes, or slant of letters • Unfinished words or letters, omitted words • Inconsistent position on page with respect to lines and margins • Inconsistent spaces between words and letters

7. Signs of dysgraphia • Cramped or unusual grip, especially • holding the writing instrument very close to the paper, or • holding thumb over two fingers and writing from the wrist • Strange wrist, body, or paper position • Talking to self while writing, or carefully watching the hand that is writing • Slow or labored copying or writing - even if it is neat and legible • Content which does not reflect the student's other language skills

8. Assumptions about writing for students with learning disabilities • Evidence of prerequisite literacy skills is 
needed • Writing skills should be taught in isolated tasks • Conventional writing isn’t possible • Early writing should be conventional • Spoken communication isnt needed during writing • Symbol writing activities naturally lead to 
conventional writing

9. Teaching expressive writing to students with dyslexia/dysgraphia • For students who have dyslexia or dysgraphia, and others who struggle with written expression, researchers have determined that instructional writing interventions can lead to significant improvements—both in the quality of their writing and in their overall expressive skills. • National Center for Learning Disabilitieshttp://www.ncld.org/students-disabilities/ld-education-teachers/teaching-expressive-writing-students-with-ld

10. Three Key Phases • In reviewing the findings of multiple research studies, what we have learned is that most successful writing interventions—in general or special education classrooms—follow a basic framework of three phases: • Planning • Writing • Revision

11. Maximum support for maximum gain • Approaches to improve the quality of learning and teaching. • Techniques that work very well for children with dyslexic difficulties: • breaking the task down • being very clear about what the lesson is about • assessing how the child’s learned that lesson at the end of the lesson • a lot of focus on peer assessment • development of oral skills.

12. Three critical components • Explicit Instruction: Teachers need to provide students with explicit strategies and instructions. Students may be given “think” sheets or mnemonics. • Demonstration: Teachers need to demonstrate how to write particular types of narrative and to provide explicit examples of each. • Providing Feedback: Teachers should offer direct, explicit, and frequent feedback so students can reflect upon and edit their work in meaningful ways. Peer-to-peer feedback is also a great way to foster a community of writers within the classroom. Feedback from both a teacher and peers helps students develop their writing style.

13. Important Related Skills • Research evidence suggests the importance of teaching skills like spelling and punctuation with skills such as organization, text structure, and techniques for editing and revising. • While children with learning disabilities often have problems with many skills underlying the writing process, teaching and practicing skills in tandem and not in isolation is most beneficial. • The less a child has to spend concentrating on the mechanics of writing, the more time and effort can be spent on the complex tasks such as planning, composing, and revising.

14. Mechanics vs. content of writing • Writing instruction that focuses more on content better capitalizes on the strengths of LD students. • When asked to write about complex ideas, students with learning disabilities often show conceptual performance beyond lower-level skills such as capitalization, punctuation and spelling • Dictating to a scribe can eliminate mechanical difficulties and result higher-quality composition. • While students must eventually learn to do their own writing, these findings suggest a possible bridge to higher performance. • http://www.ldonline.org/article/6201/

15. Assistive technology • Assistive technology (AT) can be a possible bridge to better writing. • For some students, especially those who have difficulties with cognitive or intellectual disabilities, dictation to an adult or the use of voice-to-text assistive technologies may allow students to produce higher-quality narrative content and find enjoyment in a process that would otherwise be burdensome • Assistive technology can encourage them to “write” frequently and hone their skills as engaged and independent writers.

16. “the case Against FOR Assistive technology” • Don Johnston, software developer and advocate for children with special needs, released a video 'The Case Against AT'. The video addresses the history of resistance to assistive technology in schools and compels school leaders to consider AT accommodations not just for students with disabilities in a resource room, but to seamlessly integrate technology accommodations in everyday classrooms to benefit students who need more structured learning supports.

17. Why assistive technology? “Being tech-savvy in business is considered a strength, yet in some schools assistive technologies are perceived as tools that give an unfair advantage to students. It's disheartening when non-verbal students struggle to communicate despite the advances in augmentative devices. For students with dysgraphia, a writing disorder, a simple word prediction writing tool can make all the difference to demonstrate what they know. I hope my video plays at least a minor role to help people think differently about the uses and benefits of these tools.” http://donjohnston.com/thecase/#.U7IrYxZX_1o

18. Clicker http://www.cricksoft.com/us/products/clicker/special-needs/dyslexia/dyslexia2.aspx

19. Clicker http://www.cricksoft.com/us/products/clicker/video.aspx

20. Clicker http://www.cricksoft.com/us/products/clicker/special-needs/dyslexia/dyslexia2.aspx

21. Videos…‪ • How tech can help your student with learning disabilities‬http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwVhJGePFlg • Assistive Technology in Action - Meet Elle (cerebral palsy) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8VuA8yVBv8 • Assistive Technology in Action - Meet Jean - iPad technology • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkN8DIgt2S0

22. iPad Apps for Literacy Instruction • Using iPads for literacy instruction opens up many stimulating opportunities. These tablet computers are portable, easy to use, and there are countless “educational” iPad applications, or apps, available. • Recommended list of iPad apps is available on the International Dyslexia Association website: http://www.interdys.org/iPadAppsForLiteracyInstruction.htm

23. Group Discussion • What technologies are you using in your classroom to support literacy development for students with Special Education Needs? • Which technologies have been the most successful with your students?

25. Adaptations/modifications When considering accommodating or modifying expectations to deal with dysgraphia, consider changes in… • The RATE of producing written work • The VOLUME of the work to be produced • The COMPLEXITY of the writing task • The TOOLS used to produce the written product • The FORMAT of the product

27. 1. Rate • Allow more time for written tasks including note-taking, copying, and tests • Allow students to begin projects or assignments early • Include time in the student's schedule catching up or getting ahead on written work, or doing alternative activities related to the material being learned. • Encourage learning keyboarding skills to increase the speed and legibility of written work. • Have the student prepare assignment papers in advance with required headings (Name, Date, etc.)

28. 2. volume • Note taking: provide a partially completed outline so the student can fill in the details under major headings. • Allow the student to dictate some assignments or tests (or parts of tests) to a 'scribe'. Train the 'scribe' to write what the student says verbatim ("I'm going to be your secretary") and then allow the student to make changes him or herself. • Remove 'neatness' or 'spelling' (or both) as grading criteria for assignments; design assignments to be evaluated on specific parts of the writing process. • Allow abbreviations in some writing (such as b/c for because). Have the student develop a repertoire of abbreviations in a notebook. • Reduce copying aspects of work (e.g. notes from the board)

29. 3. Complexity • Teach the stages of the writing process. Assess and provide feedback on each stage of writing. • Encourage the student to use a spellchecker and to have someone else proofread work. • Have a 'writing’ 3-ring binder or folder to include: • A model of cursive or print letters on the inside cover (this is easier to refer to than one on the wall or blackboard). • Sample graphic organizers/templates • Ideas for writing • Outlines

30. 4. Change the tools • Allow the student to use cursive or printing, whichever is most legible • Encourage primary students to use paper with the raised lines to keep writing on the line. • Allow older students to use the line width of their choice. Keep in mind that some students use small writing to disguise its messiness or spelling. • Allow students to use paper or writing instruments of different colors.

31. 4. Change the tools • Allow the student to use the writing instrument that is most comfortable. Many students have difficulty with ballpoint pens, preferring pencils or mechanical pencils. • Word Processing should be an option for many reasons. Some keyboarding programs address the needs of LD students. Features may include teaching the keys alphabetically (instead of the "home row" sequence), or sensors to change the 'feel' of the D and K keys so that the student can find the right position kinesthetically.

32. 4. Change the tools • Consider whether use of speech recognition software will be helpful. If the student and teacher invest time and effort in 'training' the software to the student's voice and learning to use it, the student can be freed from the motor processes of writing or keyboarding. • Use assistive technology; e.g., word processors, spell-check devices, grammar-check devices, text to speech software. • Offer the student an alternative project such as an oral report or visual project (film, Power Point, Photo Journal).

34. Mnemonics for editing • Encourage students to edit their work using strategies such as COPS. • Capitalization • Organization • Punctuation • Spelling

35. Case study: fran • Read the case study • Discuss possible adaptations for Fran in her writing assignment

36. Guided writing

37. Guided writing • Guided writing is taught to small groups in briskly paced, 20-minute lessons. These groupings should be flexible, based on observation of students' current needs, and might be implemented following a whole-class writing lesson. • Engage students in a brief, shared experience. You might read a short but fascinating section of an informational text, for example, or conduct a brief experiment. • Engage students in a rich conversation during this experience, expanding their linguistic ability for this topic. • Have students explicitly rehearse the ways in which they may decide to write about this experience. • Teach one or two specific strategies for writing. • Remember to teach strategies for all levels of writing decisions, including composing, text and sentence structures, spelling, and punctuation.

38. Guided writing • Provide brief examples of strategies in order to support students • Discuss with students how they will integrate these strategies into their own writing during today's lesson. • Provide students with time (5-10 minutes) to write at the small-group table but individually and as independently as possible. • Provide immediate individual guidance and feedback while students write, assisting individual students in anticipation of needed reminders or assistance. Monitor students while they write and "lean in" in order to prompt and guide their thinking. • Students should experience sustained attention to writing, producing a short but complete piece of writing. • Include a brief sharing activity in which each writer's immediate work is shared with an audience. This sharing will allow each writer to experience his/her newly written text as a whole.

39. Cubing: a strategy for differentiation

42. Cubing • Students use a six-sided cube as a visual aid to provide writing prompts and create a three-dimensional interpretation that addresses many different aspects of a topic. Cubing can be done as a group or individual project. =

43. Cubing Tied to Bloom’s Taxonomy • 1. Knowledge Recall: What is this about? • 2.Comprehension Understanding: Why did this happen? • 3. Application Transfer: Use the information to predict. • 4. Analysis How many elements are present? • 5. Synthesis Combining:Change to a new scenario. • 6. Evaluation Rating: Rank solutions in priority order.

44. Describe it • Students will describe the topic as thoroughly as possible in words, including as many details as they can think of. • Compare it • Students will compare and contrast the topic to something else, finding similarities and differences. • Associate it • Using free association, students will list things that this topic brings to mind.

45. Analyze it • Students will break the topic down into its component parts and materials, or analyze it in terms of causes, effects, or relationships. Tell how it is made or how it functions. • Apply it • Students will think of some of the ways this topic is used or what its affect has been in the world or everyday life. • Argue for or Against it • Students will come up with positive and negative attributes of the topic, and defend their argument.

47. Why Do We Use Cubes? To differentiate learning by readiness (familiarity with content or skill level) To differentiate learning by interest To differentiate learning by student learning profile (visual, auditory, kinesthetic; multiple intelligences) To add an element of novelty to classroom instruction

50. Topic: Jealousy