HELPING STRUGGLING READERS IN GENERAL EDUCATION AND RESOURCE ROOM SETTINGS
Effective Writing Instruction for Struggling Writers Developed by Region IV Education Service Center...
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Transcript of Effective Writing Instruction for Struggling Writers Developed by Region IV Education Service Center...
Effective Writing Instruction
for Struggling Writers
Developed byRegion IV Education Service Center
In collaboration with theTexas Education Agency
2
News Flash
“Children want to write. They want to write the first day they attend school. This is no accident. Before they went to school, they
marked up walls, pavements, and newspapers with crayons, chalk, pens or pencils…anything that makes a mark. The
child’s mark say ‘I am’.”
Graves, 1983
“Children want to write. They want to write the first day they attend school. This is no accident. Before they went to school, they
marked up walls, pavements, and newspapers with crayons, chalk, pens or pencils…anything that makes a mark. The
child’s mark say ‘I am’.”
Graves, 1983
3
Struggling Writers
• Compose very little considering time allocated for writing
• Lack awareness of how to organize the writing and produce less coherent papers
• Leave out critical information
4
Struggling Writers
Are not fluent writers
Experience difficulty with word choice, handwriting, mechanics, identifying
and correcting errors
Have difficulty adding detail
to the composition
5
Struggling Writers
Have difficultyselecting topics and
generating ideas
Lack procedural knowledge about
the writing process
6
Struggling Writers
Are unaware of audience, purpose, and form demands
Do not understand that writing is a means of conveying a message
Do not monitor their own progress
7
Good News
“We have made more progress in written expression for students with
disabilities than in any other academic area.”Vaughn, Gersten, and Chard (2002)
“We have made more progress in written expression for students with
disabilities than in any other academic area.”Vaughn, Gersten, and Chard (2002)
8
Components of Effective Writing Instruction for Struggling Writers
A classroom climate that motivates
students to write
An emphasis on the writing process
Continual monitoring of
student progress
Specific instruction and strategies to meet the needs of
the struggling writer
9
Motivation
• Serves as a critical element in all learning
• Focuses or energizes student’s attention, emotions, and activity
• Plays a central role in the writing process
10
Create a Classroom Climate that Motivates Students
Provide sufficient time with quality needs-based
instruction
Provide sufficient time with quality needs-based
instruction
Invite students to learnInvite students to learn
Base all instruction on the TEKS
Base all instruction on the TEKS
Support student learning through scaffolded instruction
Support student learning through scaffolded instruction
11
An effective classroom teacher’s actions and words
will meet students’ needs and desires for
Invitations to Learn
C.A. Tomlinson, 2002
AffirmationAffirmation
ContributionContribution
12
Invitations to Learn
An effective classroom teacher’s actions and words will meet students’ needs and desire for
C.A. Tomlinson, 2002
Purpose Challenge Power
13
Sufficient Time with Quality Needs-Based Instruction
“Writing taught once or twice a week is just frequent enough
to remind students that they can’t write and teachers that
they can’t teach.”Graves, 1983
“Writing taught once or twice a week is just frequent enough
to remind students that they can’t write and teachers that
they can’t teach.”Graves, 1983
14
Sufficient Time with Quality Needs-Based Instruction
Teachers need to create
as many opportunities as possible to teach writing.
Students should be
working on pieces of
writing all of the time.
15
“Struggling writers require more time and more extended,
structured, and explicit instruction to develop skills and strategies essential for
writing.” Catts & Kamhi, 1999
“Struggling writers require more time and more extended,
structured, and explicit instruction to develop skills and strategies essential for
writing.” Catts & Kamhi, 1999
Sufficient Time with Quality Needs-Based Instruction
16
All educators serving a struggling student must meet regularly and have purposeful discussions about the instructional needs of the student.
All educators serving a struggling student must meet regularly and have purposeful discussions about the instructional needs of the student.
KK
1212
TEKS-Based InstructionVertical Alignment of TEKS
17
Scaffolded Instruction
Scaffolded instruction is the temporary support that allows a
student to move from his/her current knowledge and skills to a higher level
of competence, moving from dependence on the teacher/others to
independence as a learner.
Scaffolded instruction is the temporary support that allows a
student to move from his/her current knowledge and skills to a higher level
of competence, moving from dependence on the teacher/others to
independence as a learner.
18
Scaffolded Instruction to Support Student Learning
Substantial support is given early and the support is gradually reduced as the
student gains independence
Explicit instruction is provided at the initial
level of student proficiency
The design or use of the instructional
strategy is adapted
19
Continuum of Teacher Support for Writing
Adapted from Fountas & Pinnell, 1996
High support
Moderate support
Low/No support
Dependent
Teacher-directed Student-directed
Unprompted assistance
Instruction Integration
Prompted assistance
Struggling Writer Skilled Writer
Independent
20
Scaffolded Writing Instruction
• Modeling
• Mini-lessons
• Conferences– Teacher/student– Student/student
• A variety of grouping patterns
• Technology use
21
Support Provided Through Teacher Modeling
Modeling or demonstrating is an important part of all good instruction,
Including mini-lesson instruction.
Direct Writing Instruction
Direct Writing Instruction
Examples of Good Writing
Examples of Good Writing
22
Mini-Lessons
• Are of short duration (10–20 minutes) • Demonstrate important aspects of
the writing process with clear, powerful examples
• Focus on a specific writing principle or procedure
• Are interactive and meet students’ needs
23
Points out specific positive aspects in the
writing and reinforces strengths
Points out specific positive aspects in the
writing and reinforces strengths
Helps the writer, not the writingHelps the writer, not the writing
Teacher/Student Writing Conferences
The teacher
Identifies specific instructional needsIdentifies specific instructional needs
24
Teacher/Student Writing Conferences
Learns how the writer is progressing in his/her application of the writing process and concepts
taught during mini-lessons
Assists students in setting goals
The teacher
25
Peer Conferences
Give students real and immediate audiences
for their work
Give students real and immediate audiences
for their work
Improve student writing
Improve student writing
Help develop effective oral communication skills
Help develop effective oral communication skills
26
Peer Conferences
Enhance student
self-esteem
Assist students in becoming
self-evaluators
27
Grouping Patterns
Type of Group Instructional Focus Instructional Strategy
Whole Group
Introduce new concepts
Practice concepts not mastered by approximately 2/3 of the class
Review concepts
Mini-lesson Modeling
Small Group (same ability)
Instruction targeted to specific students’ needs
Mini-lesson Modeling
Pairs/Partners Practice concepts
already introduced Peer conferences
One-on-One Instruction targeted
to a specific student’s need
Teacher/student conference
Type of Group Instructional Focus Instructional Strategy
Whole Group
Introduce new concepts
Practice concepts not mastered by approximately 2/3 of the class
Review concepts
Mini-lesson Modeling
Small Group (same ability)
Instruction targeted to specific students’ needs
Mini-lesson Modeling
Pairs/Partners Practice concepts
already introduced Peer conferences
One-on-One Instruction targeted
to a specific student’s need
Teacher/student conference
28
Technology and Writing Instruction
Computers• Are enjoyable to use• Encourage risk-taking• Allow for revision and editing• Give professional results
When students compose on computers, they write more and both the quality of their writing
and their attitude toward writing improve.Bangert-Drowns, 1993
29
Technology Use
Provides assistance for• Organizational assistance• Grammar correction• Speech synthesis• Visually highlighting words• Word cueing and word
prediction• Voice recognition
30
The Writing Process
Shifts emphasis from a product-driven approach to a process-driven approach
Shifts emphasis from a product-driven approach to a process-driven approach
Provides effective writing instructionProvides effective writing instruction
Enforces the process all writers go through as they develop their compositions
Enforces the process all writers go through as they develop their compositions
Helps develop positive attitudes towards writing
Helps develop positive attitudes towards writing
31
Stages in the Writing Process
PrewritingPrewriting
DraftingDrafting
RevisingRevisingEditingEditing
PublishingPublishing
ReflectiveReflective RecursiveRecursive
32
Using the Writing Process with Struggling Writers
• Allows students to be involved in writing regularly for meaningful purposes and real audiences
• Focuses on meaning first and then skills in the context of meaning
• Accommodates individual differences allowing students to work at their own level and pace
• Involves collaboration
33
Using the Writing Process with Struggling Writers
Provides opportunities for
generalization and transfer of
learning
Helps establish independent
problem-solvers both in writing and in the classroom
in general
Creates writers
Gives student control of their
writing
34
Using the Writing Process with Struggling Writers
“The reason writing helps children with learning disabilities is that they do
far more than learn to write; they learn to come to terms with a new
image of themselves as thinkers—thinkers with a message to convey to the world.”
Graves, 1991
35
Prewriting
• Helps the writer explore the possibilities in the writing task
• Stimulates and enlarges the writer’s thoughts• Moves the writer from the stage of thinking
about a writing task to the act of writing• Develops a plan to help the writer choose the
topic, purpose, audience, and form or structure
Do not overlook prewriting activities!
36
Drafting
• As the first version of writing, the purpose of drafting is to put thoughts onto paper.
• Writing’s recursive nature means that drafting will be revisited again and again and again.
37
Revising
Revising means “seeing again.”
Improves the composition so that the product is more
interesting and understandable to the reader
Improves the composition so that the product is more
interesting and understandable to the reader
Clarifies meaning and expands ideas
Helps writers learn the craft of writing
38
Editing
Helps the writer
• Understand that conventions convey meaning
• Make corrections to errors in the conventions of writing, including spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation
39
Publishing
Helps the writer focus on the communication of meaning to a real audience, thus giving a
purpose for writing efforts
Acknowledges that writing is genuine communication
Is an effective strategy for motivating writing
Practices the highest level of revision and editing skills
40
Monitoring Student Progress
Formal measurements• Texas Assessment of
Knowledge and Skills (TAKS)
• State Developed Alternative Assessment (SDAA)
• Additional norm- or criterion-referenced tests
41
Monitoring Student Progress
Informal measurements
Observation
Conferences
Writing samples
Anecdotal records
Checklists
Rubrics
42
Specific Instruction and Strategies for the Struggling Writer
Reinforce core instruction taught to all studentsReinforce core instruction taught to all students
Provide scaffolded instruction to support use of strategies taught in core learning to struggling writers
Provide scaffolded instruction to support use of strategies taught in core learning to struggling writers
Provide deeper scaffolded instructional strategies that support the same learning
Provide deeper scaffolded instructional strategies that support the same learning
43
The Reading and Writing Connection
Writers who are readers
Have a wider knowledge base to draw from for topic selection and personal connections
Have a wider knowledge base to draw from for topic selection and personal connections
Practice and study language in ways that are closely related to real-world situations
Practice and study language in ways that are closely related to real-world situations
Become cognizant of what good writing looks and sounds like
Become cognizant of what good writing looks and sounds like
Use knowledge of text organization, conventions, and elements of style to aid in comprehension
Use knowledge of text organization, conventions, and elements of style to aid in comprehension
44
Writing Across the Curriculum
Writing’s greatest gift Is the ability to help us learn.
Moore, 1994
Writing• Increases recall and understanding of
information• Enhances the thinking of students• Facilitates the learning of the content
45
Content Area Writing
Writing tasks should include
Journal WritingEssay Writing
Imaginative WritingInformational Writing
46
Benefits of Journal Writing
Encourages risk taking
Provides a safe private place to write
Makes thinking visible
Provides opportunities for reflection
Validates personal experiences and feeling
47
Benefits of Journal Writing
Promotes fluency in writing and reading
Provides a personal record for students
Promotes the development of written language conventions
Provides a vehicle for evaluation
48
Strategic Writing Instruction
Can be presented to students through mini-lessons and
conferences
Can be presented to students through mini-lessons and
conferences
Makes students aware of when, where, how, and why
strategies work
Makes students aware of when, where, how, and why
strategies work
Is tailored to the needs of individual studentsIs tailored to the needs of individual students
49
Steps for Writing Skills and Strategy Instruction
• Identify the skill/strategy• Preteach vocabulary or
concepts• Describe the components• Explain strategy’s use• Model while writing a com-
position• Instruct students to memorize and rehearse
strategies• Help students work toward independent
mastery
50
Scaffolded Instruction in Action
Initial core instruction
Use technology
Review and reteach material
Enrich background knowledge
Give feedback
Provide opportunities for practice
Explain the task
Present new material
51
Scaffolded Instruction Throughout the Writing Process
PrewritingPrewriting
DraftingDrafting
RevisingRevising
EditingEditing
PublishingPublishing
52
Prewriting Difficulties
Selecting a topic
Narrowing the focus
Generating ideas
Organizing thoughts
Determining audience and purpose
53
Drafting and RevisingDifficulties
• Composing very little and omitting critical information
• Developing complete sentences/paragraphs
• Developing an idea• Producing focused and
coherent papers• Writing fluently
54
Sentence Structure
Sentence Structure
Grammar Use
Grammar Use
PunctuationPunctuation
SpellingSpelling
Editing Difficulties
55
Invitations to Learn
AffirmationAffirmation
ContributionContribution
ChallengeChallenge
PowerPower
PurposePurpose
In a writing process classroom, how can teachers provide support
for these five areas that will motivate students to want to write?
56
Remember
YOUYOUYOUYOU
The invitation to learn comes from