Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities

A hands-on guide for anyone who teaches writing to students with learning disabilities This 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

Table of Contents:
About the Authors vii Dedication and Acknowledgments viii List of Figures and Exhibits xi Foreword xvii 1. Very Gently with No Red Marks 1 2. Components of Written Language 7 Handwriting 8 Spelling 11 Usage 18 Vocabulary 21 Text Structure 23 Conclusion 30 3. Theoretical Perspectives and Effective Principles 35 Theoretical Perspectives 35 Effective Instructional Principles 39 Conclusion 69 4. Effective Accommodations for Struggling Writers 71 Accommodations and Compensatory Strategies 71 Determination of the Amount of Support 72 Selection of Appropriate Accommodations 73 Legal Requirements for Individuals with Learning Disabilities 76 Conclusion 82 5. Helping Students with Handwriting 83 General Principles 84 Writing Styles 86 Letter Formation 91 Writing Speed 97 Self-Evaluation 98 Informal Assessment 101 Examples of Commercial Programs 103 Conclusion 104 6. Building Basic Writing Skills 105 Spelling 105 Usage 141 Editing 146 Examples of Commercial Programs 150 Conclusion 152 7. Improving Written Expression 153 Metacognition, Metalinguistics, and Strategy Instruction 153 Vocabulary 163 Text Structure 171 Revision 205 Examples of Commercial Programs 213 Conclusion 215 8. Informal Assessment and Curriculum-Based Measurement 217 Informal Assessment 217 Curriculum-Based Measurement 227 Conclusion 240 9. Analysis of Writing Samples 243 Analyzed Writing Samples 243 Guided Practice Samples 276 Independent Practice Samples 295 Conclusion 303 10. Writing as Communication 305 Factors Affecting Writing 305 Hearing the Writer’s Voice 311 Conclusion 318 References 321 Index 325

About the Author :
The Authors 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.