Synopses & Reviews
Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with Learning DisabilitiesThis comprehensive, authoritative resource helps equip teachers to effectively analyze and teach writing to students with learning disabilities and/or language impairments. Mather, Wendling, and Roberts offer a wealth of helpful approaches and exercises including:
Tips for analyzing difficulties in all major components of written language
Information on the connection of oral language to written language
An analysis of handwriting difficulties, styles, and instructional strategies
Instructional strategies for all aspects of written language
Helpful reviews of basic skills such as spelling,punctuation, and capitalization with numerousinstructional strategies
Methods for enhancing student performance inwritten expression
Practical assessment approaches for monitoringstudent progress
Suggestions for motivating reluctant writers
While the authors put the focus on working with children with learning disabilities, the strategies included have been proven to work with all students with writing difficulties, whether or not they have been designated as having a learning disability.
Praise for the Second Edition of Writing Assessment and Instruction forStudents with Learning Disabilities
"Well-written and organized, and filled with practical strategies, this book should be required reading for every educator dedicated to teaching written language skills to all students, not just those with disabilities. It is an essential desk reference."
—Sam Goldstein, Ph.D., editor in chief, Journal of Attention Disorders, and co–editor in chief, Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development
"This book is absolutely packed with information and strategies to make assessing and teaching all writers effective and easy."
—Wendy Randall Wall, educational consultant/owner,Learning and Behavior Specialists, LLC
"The comprehensive model of writing that structures the book enables teachers to use assessment results as the basis for designing effective instruction to overcome writing problems for students at all grade levels."
—Esther Minskoff, Ph.D., professor emerita, Special Education, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
Synopsis
This book helps teachers sharpen their skills in analyzing and teaching writing to students with learning disabilities. While the focus is on working with children with learning disabilities, the strategies included have been proven to work with all students with writing difficulties, whether or not they have been classified as having learning disabilities.
The book is organized into nine chapters. The first chapter discusses the connection of oral language to written language. The second chapter provides an analysis of handwriting difficulties, styles, and instructional strategies. The third chapter provides a review of basic skills (spelling, punctuation, and capitalization) and analyses of written language samples that evidence difficulties with basic skills. In addition, the different types of errors seen in the writing of individuals with orthographic dyslexia and phonologic dyslexia are highlighted. Chapter four provides the reader with instructional strategies for difficulties in basic skills. Chapters five and six provide the analysis of written expression and offer instructional strategies that may be used to enhance student performance in written expression. The seventh chapter offers practical ways of monitoring progress and provides informal probes. Chapter eight explores reasons why a student is reluctant to write and provides suggestions to motivate them. The final chapter presents analyses of student writing samples; some of the samples are reviewed within a diagnostic-prescriptive format and others are for independent study, to be used as assignments, or for in-class discussions.
Synopsis
A hands-on guide for anyone who teaches writing to students with learning disabilitiesThis valuable resource helps teachers who want to sharpen their skills in analyzing and teaching writing to students with learning disabilities. The classroom-tested, research-proven strategies offered in this book work with all struggling students who have difficulties with writing-even those who have not been classified as learning disabled. The book offers a review of basic skills-spelling, punctuation, and capitalization-and includes instructional strategies to help children who struggle with these basics. The authors provide numerous approaches for enhancing student performance in written expression. They explore the most common reasons students are reluctant to write and offer helpful suggestions for motivating them.
Includes a much-needed guide for teaching and assessing writing skills with children with learning disabilities
- Contains strategies for working with all students that struggle with writing
- Offers classroom-tested strategies, helpful information, 100+ writing samples with guidelines for analysis, and handy progress-monitoring charts
- Includes ideas for motivating reluctant writers
- Mather is an expert in the field of learning disabilities and is the best-selling author of Essentials of Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement Assessment
About the Author
Nancy Mather, Ph.D., is a professor at the University of Arizona in the department of Special Education, Rehabilitation, and School Psychology. She specializes in assessment and reading and writing disabilities.
Barbara J. Wendling, M.A., is an educational consultant who has years of clinical experience as a general and special educator and diagnostician in public school settings.
Rhia Roberts, Ph.D., is an educational consultant specializing in assessment and learning disabilities. She trains teachers and school psychologists in districts around the country.
Table of Contents
About the Authors.Dedication and Acknowledgments.
List of Figures and Exhibits.
Foreword.
1. Very Gently with No Red Marks.
2. Components of Written Language.
Handwriting.
Spelling.
Usage.
Vocabulary.
Text Structure.
Conclusion.
3. Theoretical Perspectives and Effective Principles.
Theoretical Perspectives.
Effective Instructional Principles.
Conclusion.
4. Effective Accommodations for Struggling Writers.
Accommodations and Compensatory Strategies.
Determination of the Amount of Support.
Selection of Appropriate Accommodations.
Legal Requirements for Individuals with Learning Disabilities.
Conclusion.
5. Helping Students with Handwriting.
General Principles.
Writing Styles.
Letter Formation.
Writing Speed.
Self-Evaluation.
Informal Assessment.
Examples of Commercial Programs.
Conclusion.
6. Building Basic Writing Skills.
Spelling.
Usage.
Editing.
Examples of Commercial Programs.
Conclusion.
7. Improving Written Expression.
Metacognition, Metalinguistics, and Strategy Instruction.
Vocabulary.
Text Structure.
Revision.
Examples of Commercial Programs.
Conclusion.
8. Informal Assessment and Curriculum-Based Measurement.
Informal Assessment.
Curriculum-Based Measurement.
Conclusion.
9. Analysis of Writing Samples.
Analyzed Writing Samples.
Guided Practice Samples.
Independent Practice Samples.
Conclusion.
10. Writing as Communication.
Factors Affecting Writing.
Hearing the Writer’s Voice.
Conclusion.
References.
Index.