1. Writing Across the Curriculum
Implementing a writing intervention for students with disabilities
May 3, 2011
By Lisa Allen

2. Background
Two sixth grade boys struggled to organize their writing, stay focused, and edit their own writing.
One had no problem getting started, but tended to stray off topic very easily.
The other had difficulty beginning a writing task, and knowing how to organize his thoughts.

3. Goal #1: Providing structure for writing.
These two students needed a format so that they knew where to start and where they were headed.

4. Fall Writing Sample: Marcos
Here is an example of Marcos’ writing in the fall. He strays off topic, as Courtney’s note mentions.

5. Fall Writing Sample: Nick

6. Step Up to Writing
Here is an example of the “Stars, Dashes and Dots” outline format I used with Nick and Marcos to help structure their writing. I asked them to fill out one of these outlines before each vocabulary builder. “The process of planning in writing cannot be underestimated.”-article reference

7. Is Giving Students Structure Too Confining?
In the article entitled, “Exploring Inquiry as a Teaching Stance in the Writing Workshop”, the author takes issue with students writing according to the five paragraph model. He asserts that he’s “never seen a published five paragraph essay”. This may be true, but I have used the five paragraph essay for:
college entry exams
graduate school
getting a job
Real world writing requires structure.

8. Goal #2: Change Teacher Role
My own struggle in helping students with writing often comes in the form of wanting to "fix” their writing. When students finish (or often before they finish) a piece, I eagerly take it off their hands, correct or point out errors in mechanics or content, and hand it back to them. This role of editor does not result in significant learning for the student.

9. Teacher Role (cont’d.)
I began taking a step back with these students when they finished their writing, hoping to give them the ownership of their work. Rather than editing, I began asking them to reread their writing to be sure it made sense. Then I asked questions such as, “Did you answer the prompt?”, “Did you stay on topic?”, “Do you have a topic sentence?”. Asking questions, rather than telling students what to fix, puts students in charge of their own writing.
From How to Give Effective Feedback to your Students-Brookhart

10. October Writing Sample: Nick
While Nick’s writing is more organized, it does not thoroughly address the prompt.

11. November Writing Sample: Marcos
Marcos continues to get off topic in his writing.

12. “Getting it Done!”
As a special education teacher, I often fall into the trap of just “getting it done” when it comes to writing. My students are often behind in the assignment when they come to me. In order to catch them up, I overlook the opportunity to teach them the important skills of revising and editing their own work. This does not lead to learning for the students.

13. Student Ownership of Writing
In conferencing with students, I found that if I asked students to re-read aloud, they could often detect their own errors in grammar or content.
If I asked questions, rather than trying to change their writing myself, I found that they could improve their own writing.
Having students revise their own writing “cultivates an internal locus of control”.-Brookhart, How to Give Effective Feedback to your Students.

14. Spring Writing Sample: Nick
Nick now writes an organized paragraph that addresses the prompt.

15. Spring Writing Sample: Marcos Marcos now begins to write more easily and structures his writing appropriately.

16. Writing is Unique
Writing is, in my opinion, the most difficult subject to teach. The components of writing include:
planning
organization
expressive abilities
knowledge of the structure of the written word.
encoding strategies such as spelling, grammar, and punctuation
And yet we ask, “Why is it so hard for my students to write?”

17. Writing is an Art Form
In all other subject areas students are asked to interpret other’s ideas. Writing is similar only to art, a subject where self-expression is such an integral factor. Graphic organizers such as outlines simply provide a frame for the “canvas” of the written word. What if we, as teachers, encouraged students to write as a means of self expression? A creative outlet? If so, we need to give them the tools they need to create.