Module 2 Strand E1

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Module 2 Strand E1
Students and Written Language

• Writing skills of LD students have not been as widely researched as reading skills.
• Students with LD characteristically experience difficulties in either handwriting, written expression or both.

• improve handwriting problems with appropriate training and consistency in practice
• handwriting clubs provide training, practice and monitoring
• Handwriting Without Tears -program used quite successfully; developed by occupational therapists in the USA, used by many OTs in London
• The Sensible Pencil- a program used very successfully to teach students with Down syndrome/ other disabilities- printing and cursive handwriting

• difficulties in reading comprehension and spoken language probably interact to create difficulties in effective written-expression ability.
• difficulties in spoken language will affect ability to express the same type of narrative in writing
• type of writing assignment affects written expression
• learning strategies suggest: use computer assisted composition; develop plans with lists of major points to sequence more logically, edit and revise less painfully, provide access to spell and grammatical checkers
• keyboarding programs with intensive instruction and practice help to remove barriers that lack of such skills may cause (research suggests 8-15 words/per minute)
• Almena typing program included with Dreamwriter keyboards is used by students at Amethyst School (provincial school for severe LD) in London
• keyboarding programs used with tools e.g. AlphaPro Smart keyboards facilitate fluent use of computers and word processing to support written output
• word prediction software facilitates output fluency e.g. Write Away 2000 and Co-Writer & Write Outloud
• Organizers e.g. TOWER (Think, organize, write, edit, revise) or POWER (Plan, organize, write, edit, revise)

-outlines from steps 1,2 are inputted directly into computer

-drafts generated mechanically in steps 3,4, 5

What does the student with LD need to enhance the quality, volume and enjoyment in written expression?

What would you like to know more about....TOWER; SCORE A; word prediction software packages?

Post any questions, comments, and or discussion in Caucus as M2SE1 and ideas in B.B. of Ideas in Caucus as M2SE1.

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