William Van Cleave M.A.
The Kildonan School,
.Amenia, NY
Also available: handouts with excellent guided practice
This is a systematic, logical, step-by-step process for improving writing skills
in students with learning disabilities. Step by step process includes arguments
for cursive writing and keyboarding, list generation, grammar and sentence skills,
paragraph writing and the essay.
All Orton-Gillingham based [OG] – Everything is structured, sequential
and multi-sensory.
They strive to use cursive writing with ALL students. The program begins this
way and writing is taught this way in all European countries. Advantages follow:
+ Cuts down on reversals (cursive b/d, m/w, etc. they look different, and begin
differently)
+ All lowercase letters begin on the baseline
+ Spelling better reinforced in the mind if continuous movement of cursive is
used, motor memory is a big part of writing.
+ Reading is strengthened through writing
Keyboarding: Use Diane King Keyboarding and they will learn this in 30 minutes
they will have the entire alphabet. (available through ETS)
Grammar: Teaching, the only reason we ever want to teach this is to improve
writing. Ask, “Is this going to make writing better” If a student
asks why, you should be able to tell them specifically how this will help their
writing.
Subject + Verb equals a clause. The clause is the fundamental building part
of the sentence.
This program doesn’t teach the word “articles” because there
are so few, it also doesn’t teach the word " interjections"
– as this is primarily used verbally.
Teach prepositional phrases as, "anything you can do in a box."
Teaching grammar and sentences, begin orally and ask them orally to add adjectives,
adverbs, prepositional phrases.
To write a simple paragraph you are asking a student to do four things:
1. form the letters
2. spell the words
3. construct sentences
4. work through paragraph structure
Know that you are asking the child to do all these things. Be sure that they
can do all these things. Because our minds can only do one new thing at a time.
So, if they don’t know how to spell they will either spell on e word correctly
or write, not both!
Every single word in every single sentence, exists in a clause
Subordinate conjunction (begins all dependent clauses)
Simple sentence – one independent clause
Compound sentence – 2 independent clauses
Complex Sentence – 1 independent clause and 1 dependent clause. “Although”
is a great way to prompt a complex sentence. It is very hard to not write a
complex sentence with “although.”
When this teacher begins teaching, he begins each day by having the student
write (or type) the alphabet quickly (in cursive or on computer) Then write
a complex sentence, and a compound sentence.
Average high school child should write 30 sentences each night. All compound,
all complex or a paragraph.
Always scribe the first paragraph for students because of the four cognitive
processes used.
Page 16 (handout) is great building from Basic to Expanded paragraph.
Explain to students about adding sophistication.
The kids thrive on structure. The writing kids need for school is good structured
writing. You don’t have to write poetry, but you do need the structured
piece.
Teaching 5 paragraph essay - have them write one paragraph about hockey, baseball,
basketball or a major category of interest. Put each paragraph away then bring
them back as the content of 5 paragraph essay.
List generation is the most important part of writing a paragraph. (sensory
is best if students get stuck).Students should not write a paragraph without
a list. If they can’t generate a list, then they won't be able to write
the paragraph. (the teacher needs to do more research with the student, or change
topics.)
Start with list, then work to categories.
Category is your gist (main idea for topic and concluding sentence)
One method to teach categorization is to bring a junk drawer from home and then
have students sort it. By teaching sorting you are teaching writing skills.
You need to group for a five paragraph essay.
33% of all LD are ADHD
Impact:
This was excellent practical teaching infromation.
There was a great idea for homework in the presentation. These materials look
excellent and transferable to my classroom.