Writing (Copying is not writing!)

1. Writing (Copying is not writing!)

2. http://www.med.unc.edu/ahs/clds/projects/north-carolina-deaf-blind-project/db-case-studies/matthews-story-1/http://www.med.unc.edu/ahs/clds/projects/north-carolina-deaf-blind-project/db-case-studies/matthews-story-1/ • http://www.med.unc.edu/ahs/clds/projects/north-carolina-deaf-blind-project/db-case-studies/db-case-studies

3. Research Summary • “The Writing Block is vital to children with disabilities…Writing enables children with disabilities to examine how ideas relate to each other.” Erickson & Koppenhaver pg. 86 =

4. Top 5 Reasons to WRITE FIRST! 5. Writing is an active way of learning about print. 4. Writing supports learning the reading process. 3. Writing allows students to record their thoughts and leave a mark. 2. Writing can be a concrete source for student assessment. 1. Writing is COMMUNICATION!

5. Let’s look at our books 85-86 /103 Overview/Summary 86-87/36 88-94 Variations within the Block 88-92 87,95 Mini-lessons/Conf. Sharing 93-105 98-101 Misc/Focused Writing 106-112 101-102 Making the block multi-level 113-116 104-107 A Typical Week 117-120

6. What does it look like? Mini-lesson 10-15 minutes Writing and Conferencing 15-20 minutes Sharing/Author’s Chair 5-10 minutes

7. What does it look like? • Multilevel – a place for accommodating special needs! • Easiest one to differentiate • Chaotic • Less structured • Everyone accessing differently • Purposeful and meaningful

8. Why Do The Writing Block? • Positive Outcomes • Teaches that printed symbols have meaning and value. • Promotes reading, “speech” and logical thinking • Provides a window to their world. • Assesses and documents student's level of comprehension

9. Purposes and Goals Purposes • Develop the skill and will of writing. • Provideunique opportunities to improve reading. Desired Outcome • Children are able to compose a message that is clearly understood by the intended audience.

10. Things to consider… • Writing plays an important role in literacy development • Children without disabilities are: • given writing tools before they can use them easily and accurately. • surrounded by models of others writing • Many students with significant disabilities have had few, if any, writing opportunities due to their physical and sensory challenges. • Students with significant disabilities need to have regular opportunities to write using a pencil or alternative pencil that provides them with access to all 26 letters of the alphabet. • Adults need to: • Respond to the random attempts and attribute meaning to them – in order to teach students that print carries meaning. • Provide models of writing with the alternative pencils their students use.

11. “Begin With the End in Mind.” Stephen Covey • Meet Your Students Where They’re At! • Do not wait until they have a particular skill. • Figure out where they are in the stages of literacy. • Find their “working pencil”. • Identify the “write stuff”. • Write for Real Reasons. Erickson & Koppenhaver pg. 89-93

12. Spellings.. (representations of words, sounds, and syllables) offer a window into the writer’s understanding of print at the word level. • Developmental Spelling stages • Print has meaning • ”graphic elements can represent ideas” • scribble, numbers, letter-like strings, letters… • Visual Cue • Read/spell broadly and contextually • Letter choices based on visual features • Phonetic Cue • Learning letter/sound correspondences • Phonetic spellings • Transitional • Rule based, though not always conventional • Conventional Literacy in AAC Gainesville,FL 6/24-29, 2007

13. Developmental Spelling Test(9 year old with Down syndrome, 3rd grade inclusion) bake [back] sinek [sink] mall [mail] drsse [dress] lake [lake] pekd[peeked] stik [stick] side [side] feet [feet] test[test] light [light] baran[dragon] Literacy in AAC Gainesville,FL 6/24-29, 2007

14. Interpreting DST:Print has Meaning and Visual Cue Stage • Emergent reading and writing opportunities • name wall and sign-in • Writing without standards • Talking word processors with speech feedback at the letter and word level • Reading talking books • Alphabet instruction • foods, actions, mnemonics, familiar anything) • Being read with where they can see text Literacy in AAC Gainesville,FL 6/24-29, 2007

15. DST: Phonetic Cue Stage • Early • Talking word processors set to word level feedback • The vowel rule in English • The more writing the better (child reading aloud) • Language experience text (teacher as scribe) • Later • Word Wall • Personal responsibility in final drafts • Making words • Talking books, books on tape, big books • See and hear text simultaneously • Rhyming texts and songs as texts

16. DST: Transitional • Nifty Thrifty Fifty • Making Big Words and Making More Big Words • Self-correction • Use of dictionary and spellcheckers learning to “know when you don’t know” • Peer editing • Wide Reading • Reading-writing inquiry projects • Non-fiction reading Literacy in AAC Gainesville,FL 6/24-29, 2007

17. Proficient Written Composition Composing a message that is clearly understood by the intended audience. Literacy in AAC Gainesville,FL 6/24-29, 2007

18. Finding their “working pencil” • Definition • the (combination of) tool(s) used by a writer in order to create written language. E.g., • hand-held tools like; pencils, pens, markers… • Keyboard tools like: typewriters, labelers… • Keyboard + editing tools like: AlphaSmart, word-processing software • Assistive softwares and hardwares: Inspiration, Co-Writer, IntelliTalk, headsticks, ViaVoice (auditory) scanning, touchscreens… • Eye gaze…other Literacy in AAC Gainesville,FL 6/24-29, 2007

19. Selecting an Alternative Pencil • Pick a pencil that is EASIEST for student to physically use. • Consider energy on the pencil vrs. the print • With limited, unreliable movements, pick the one that has the most potential to develop. • Consider energy on the pencil vrs. the print • With limited, unreliable movements, pick the one that has the most potential to develop. • Students DO NOT need to demonstrate the physical ability to use an alternative pencil in order to get one. • Students DO NOT need to know their letters in order to get an alternative pencil. • Students learn about pencils and letters by writing. Early writing is a PERFECT way to work on letter knowledge and motor skills.

20. The “Write” StuffErickson pg. 89-90 • Finding the “Write” conditions for each child to get them to start writing • Labelers • Magna Doodles • Keyboard • Letter stamps • Co-Writer • Low tech/High tech (tennis ball with pencil poked through it) • Pencil alternatives

21. Writing for Real Reasons “Writing for real…audiences is vital for young writers with disabilities. When peers in writing groups…connect (with their writing) they create motivating reasons to struggle with the difficulties of spelling, word choice, and grammar.” Erickson & Koppenhaver pg. 93

22. Moving Through the Block • Key Features: • Writing without standards • Writing for real reasons • Daily drafts without standards • Regular revisions in order to publish for real audiences • Daily feedback from peers and teachers • Model/Scaffold • Sentence Combining • Repetition

23. Emergent Writing:Teaching That Print Has Meaning • Offer daily opportunities for writing without standards • NO COPYING: copying writing • Anything goes: writing is not corrected • Make it meaningful • Make links between writing & student experiences • Write for REAL reasons • Provide opportunities for students to choose what they want to write about • Model, model, model!!

24. Use a variety of writing activities to show function across multiple environments • Write notes, cards, letters, emails, invitations • Write captions for photographs or wordless books • Help write lists for upcoming activities • Sign name on communication logs, artwork, cards, name tags, place cards • Signs • Write just for the sake of writing

25. Teaching That Print Has Meaning:Student Topic Selection • Known topic provides context that helps the adult attribute meaning. • Topics can be offered through: • Personal Remnant Books • Objects/Tactuals • Classroom Remnant Lists/Charts • Pictures (internet, personal pictures) • Verbal/Signed choices based on student interest

26. Writing Examples • http://www.med.unc.edu/ahs/clds/DeafBlindCase1.htm

27. Shared Writing • A shared writing process that results in materials for reading. • Provides structure, while allowing student to generate their own ideas. • Teacher writes a sentence frame. • Student complete the sentence while the teacher writes • Is a multilevel activity: • Choice making for beginning communicators • Models of the writing process and concepts about print for emergent writers and reader’s • Repeated reading experience for conventional readers developing fluency

28. Predictable Chart Writing(Cunningham, 2001 and Hall and William,2001, Adapted by Hanser,2005) • Day 1: Write the Chart • Day 2: Reread/work with Chart • Day 3: Work with Cut-up Sentence Strips • Day 4: Be the Sentence • Day 5: Make the Book!

29. Day 1: Write the Chart • Teacher selects a sentence frame • Can be unit related. Example: “Volcanoes are…” “Recycling is…” • Introduce topic and model writing the first sentence. • Have students select their own ideas to contribute. • Each student will share their idea programmed on a single message device. • As students share, write the sentence frame with their idea. • Read sentences with opportunities for students to use their “inner voice.”

30. Day 3:Work with Cut-Up Sentence Strips • For each student prepare 2 complete models of their sentence on a strip • The student cuts apart one sentence into individual words • Present the words in an accessible format to student • i.e. choice board, eye gaze frame • Support student in creating sentence using their words • Allow them to make mistakes • Reread and discuss their attempts • Show them how to use the model and guide them to creating the correct sentence • Read sentence through with focus on “inner voice”

31. Day 4:Be the Sentence • Use students’ cut up words from Day 3 • Together choose the sentence that will be used for “Be the Sentence” • Select one student per word and line up • Give each student one word card • Single message devices programmed with the word can be used • Work with students to line up in the order of the sentence • Have students use their devices to say the words • Allow for mistakes and support them in eventually lining up in correct order

32. Day 5:Make the Book! • Each student is responsible for creating the page with their sentence • Students work with their words in an accessible format • Eye gaze; computer; choice board; partner assisted scanning • Students choose a picture to illustrate their page • Internet; magazine; digital pictures; their illustrations • Support students in using the individual words to write their sentence • Allow for mistakes and guide students in creating the correct sentence.

33. One Model:Structured Writers’ Workshop • Focused mini-lessons on various aspects of the writing process. • Drafting and sharing • Conferencing • Author’s chair/peer groups Literacy in AAC Koppenhaver & Erickson June 2007

34. Focused Mini-Lesson Possibilities • Using a spellchecker • Capitalizing the first word of every sentence • Brainstorming ideas • Freewriting • Revision (thinking like your audience) • Poetry forms • Using Inspiration • Giving good feedback to partners Literacy in AAC Koppenhaver & Erickson June 2007

35. Getting Started • Any pencil, any paper, any text • Writing without standards • Free writing, can’t stop writing, journaling… • Ear spelling (invented spelling) • Writing from models • Structured journaling, structured language experience • Supported inquiry projects • Experience, frames, pictures, dictation… • Multi-author writing (pairs, groups, whole class) Literacy in AAC Koppenhaver & Erickson June 2007

36. Models: Extreme Strategy • Partner asks, “What do you want to write about today?” • AAC user responds with a pre-stored word or message from device. • Partner writes a two or three-line text about a related topic. • Partner read final product and puts it away, and then says, “You write now.” or “I can’t wait to hear your story.” • AAC user combines letter-by-letter spelling with pre-stored words and messages to compose Literacy in AAC Koppenhaver & Erickson June 2007

37. Adult Model I know a nurse. Her name is Mrs. Smith. She works at TMH. I like her. Student Follow-Up I NO TEACHER. HER NAME IS LEE. SHE WORKS MOSS STREET. I KISS LEE. Literacy in AAC Koppenhaver & Erickson June 2007

38. Adult Model Candy is at Moss Street today. She takes our lunch money. Student Follow-Up AGGIE MOM EAT LUNCH WITH JORDAN. AGGIE TEACHES PE. Literacy in AAC Koppenhaver & Erickson June 2007

39. Reflection and Summary • Writing plays an important role in literacy development • Children without disabilities are: • given writing tools before they can use them easily and accurately. • surrounded by models of others writing • Many students with significant disabilities have had few, if any, writing opportunities due to their physical and sensory challenges. • Students with significant disabilities need to have regular opportunities to write using a pencil or alternative pencil that provides them with access to all 26 letters of the alphabet. • Adults need to: • Respond to the random attempts and attribute meaning to them – in order to teach students that print carries meaning. • Provide models of writing with the alternative pencils their students use.

40. The Research Says… “Teachers do not lower their expectations for children with disabilities. They do provide more direct instruction in processes and strategies…Teachers also integrate technologies…to help students write more successfully and share that writing…” Erickson & Koppenhaver pg. 102

41. Assumptions • All learners have a means of communications & interaction. • Teachers hold the expectation that their students can learn. • Learning is supported across environments. • Teachers engage in ongoing reflection and problem solving. • Learners are cognitively engaged and supported in achieving cognitive clarity. • Learners are presented with instruction that is intrinsically motivating. • Comprehensive instruction is offered every day to help students move beyond skill acquisition to application.

42. Our Challenge “As you know, you go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.” – Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld