Title: Writing Interventions That Really Work Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org
1Writing Interventions That Really Work Jim
Wrightwww.interventioncentral.org
2 Workshop Agenda
- In this section of the workshop, we will
- Analyze the subskills that make up writing
ability - Identify barriers that can prevent students from
being effective writers - Review effective writing interventions
3Elbow Group Activity When was your writing
breakthrough point?
- In your group, discuss when each member felt that
they reached the breakthrough point when they
felt they were competent writers. - Be prepared to share your discussion with the
larger group.
4The Act of Creating a Piece of Writing Is
- Not a single unitary skill but instead is a
- Spectrum of interrelated skills and
- A process of plan, write, revise
5Written Expression A Spectrum of Skills
6Students must learn that writing is a process not
a product.
7Barriers to Writing
- The physical act of writing
8Origins of the Latin Alphabet
Latin (Western) Alphabet
9Origins of the Latin AlphabetPhoenician Alphabet
Source Wikipedia http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pho
enician_alphabet
10Origins of the Latin AlphabetEarly Greek Alphabet
Boustrophedon ox trail Script alternates
between left-to-right and right-to-left
Source http//www.translexis.demon.co.uk/new_page
_2.htm
11Barriers to Writing
12George Bernard Shaws Spelling of FISH
- F as in ENOUGH
- I as in 'WOMEN
- SH as in NATION
13Simplified Spelling
behaviour
behavior
defence
defense
enough
enuf
receive
reseev
incandescent
inkandesent
14Barriers to Writing
15- "If all the grammarians in the world were placed
end to end, it would be a good thing." - Oscar Wilde
16Grammar A Definition
- Grammar is the study of rules governing the use
of language. The set of rules governing a
particular language is the grammar of that
language thus, each language can be said to have
its own distinct grammar.
Source http//en.wikipedia.org/
17Grammars Dueling Perspectives Who Defines Good
and Bad Grammatical Usage?
- Descriptivists Collect neutral field study
information of the patterns through which
meanings are typically created in functional
speech and writing - Prescriptivists Set grammatical rules for how
language ought to be used
Source http//en.wikipedia.org/
18The Complexities of English Grammar A Sampling
- Tense Future tenses (from Wikipedia)
- Simple future "I shall/will listen." This is
used to express that an event will occur in the
future, or that the speaker intends to perform
some action. - Future continuous "I shall/will be listening."
This is used to express an ongoing event that has
not yet been initiated. - Future perfect "I shall/will have listened."
This indicates an action which will occur before
some other action in the future Normally two
actions are expressed, and the future perfect
indicates an action which will occur in the
future but will, at the time of the main future
action expressed, be in the past (e.g. "I will
know the tune next week because I will have
listened to it"). - Future perfect continuous "I shall/will have
been listening." Expresses an ongoing action that
occurs in the future, before some other event
expressed in the future.
Source http//en.wikipedia.org/
19The Complexities of English Grammar A Sampling
- Tense Verb Moods (from Wikipedia)
- Indicative, or declarative, moodthe simplest and
most basic mood. (Examples I am walking home. We
are very happy.) - Subjunctive mood used to express counterfactual
(or conditional) statements, and is often found
in if-then statements, and certain formulaic
expressions NOTE Casual spoken English rarely
uses the subjunctive, and generally restricts the
conditional mood to the simple present and simple
past. (Example If I were you, I would bet on the
lottery) - Imperative mood used for commands or
instructions. (Examples Let me do the talking,
Put the package down on the table.)
Source http//en.wikipedia.org/
20Synergistic Relationship Between Reading Writing
- Spelling
- Vocabulary
- Grammar
- Syntax
- Style
- Genre
Reading
Writing
21Writing Skills Checklist
22Writing Blockers
23Physical Production of Writing Physical Production of Writing Physical Production of Writing
Problem? Writing Competency Sample Intervention Ideas
___Y ___N Writing Speed. Writes words on the page at a rate equal or nearly equal to that of classmates Teach keyboarding skills Allow student to dictate ideas into a tape-recorder and have a volunteer (e.g., classmate, parent, school personnel) transcribe them
___Y ___N Handwriting. Handwriting is legible to most readers Provide training in handwriting Teach keyboarding skills
24Mechanics Conventions of Writing Mechanics Conventions of Writing Mechanics Conventions of Writing
Problem? Writing Competency Sample Intervention Ideas
___Y ___N Grammar Syntax. Knowledge of grammar (rules governing use of language) and syntax (grammatical arrangement of words in sentences) is appropriate for age and/or grade placement Teach rules of grammar, syntax Have students compile individualized checklists of their own common grammar/syntax mistakes direct students to use the checklist to review work for errors before turning in
___Y ___N Spelling. Spelling skills are appropriate for age and/or grade placement Have student collect list of own common misspellings assign words from list to study quiz student on list items Have student type assignments and use spell-check
25- "The difference between the right word and the
almost right word is the difference between
lightning and the lightning bug." - Mark Twain
26- "Your manuscript is both good and original. But
the part that is good is not original, and the
part that is original is not good." - Samuel Johnson
27Writing Content Writing Content Writing Content
Problem? Writing Competency Sample Intervention Ideas
___Y ___N Vocabulary. Vocabulary in written work is age/grade appropriate Compile list of key vocabulary and related definitions for subject area assign words from list to study quiz student on definitions of list items Introduce new vocabulary items regularly to class set up cooperative learning activities for students to review vocabulary
___Y ___N Word Choice. Distinguishes word-choices that are appropriate for informal (colloquial, slang) written discourse vs. formal discourse Present examples to the class of formal vs. informal word choices Have students check work for appropriate word choice as part of writing revision process
___Y ___N Audience. Identifies targeted audience for writing assignments and alters written content to match needs of projected audience Direct students to write a targeted audience profile as a formal (early) step in the writing process have students evaluate the final writing product to needs of targeted audience during the revision process
___Y ___N Plagiarism. Identifies when to credit authors for use of excerpts quoted verbatim or unique ideas taken from other written works Define plagiarism for students. Use plentiful examples to show students acceptable vs. unacceptable incorporation of others words or ideas into written compositions
28- "Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it
into small jobs." - Henry Ford
29Writing Preparation Writing Preparation Writing Preparation
Problem? Writing Competency Sample Intervention Ideas
___Y ___N Topic Selection. Independently selects appropriate topics for writing assignments Have student generate list of general topics that that interest him or her sit with the student to brainstorm ideas for writing topics that relate to the students own areas of interest
___Y ___N Writing Plan. Creates writing plan by breaking larger writing assignments into sub-tasks (e.g., select topic, collect source documents, take notes from source documents, write outline, etc.) Create generic pre-formatted work plans for writing assignments that break specific types of larger assignments (e.g., research paper) into constituent parts. Have students use these plan outlines as a starting point to making up their own detailed writing plans.
___Y ___N Note-Taking. Researches topics by writing notes that capture key ideas from source material Teach note-taking skills have students review note-cards with the teacher as quality check.
30- "When I sit at my table to write, I never know
what its going to be until I'm under way. I
trust in inspiration, which sometimes comes and
sometimes doesn't. But I don't sit back waiting
for it. I work every day." - Alberto Moravia
31Writing Production Revision Writing Production Revision Writing Production Revision
Problem? Writing Competency Sample Intervention Ideas
___Y ___N Adequate Seat Time. Allocates realistic amount of time to the act of writing to ensure a quality final product Use teachers experience and information from proficient student writers to develop estimates of minimum writing seat time needed to produce quality products for typical writing assignments (e.g., 5-paragraph opinion essay 10-page term paper). Share with students. Have students keep a writing diary to record amount of time spent in act of writing for each assignment. Require that this information be submitted along with the students assignment. (Additional idea Consider asking parents to monitor and record their childs writing time.)
___Y ___N Oral vs. Written Work. Students dictated and written passages are equivalent in complexity and quality Allow student to dictate ideas into a tape-recorder and have a volunteer (e.g., classmate, parent, school personnel) transcribe them Permit the student to use speech-to-text software (e.g., Dragon Naturally Speaking) to dictate first drafts of writing assignments.
32Writing Production Revision (Cont.) Writing Production Revision (Cont.) Writing Production Revision (Cont.)
Problem? Writing Competency Sample Intervention Ideas
___Y ___N Revision Process. Revises initial written draft before turning in for a grade or evaluation Create a rubric containing the elements of writing that students should review during the revision process teach this rubric to the class link a portion of the grade on writing assignments to students use of the revision rubric.
___Y ___N Timely Submission. Turns in written assignments (class work, homework) on time Provide student incentives for turning work in on time. Work with parents to develop home-based plans for work completion and submission. Institute school-home communication to let parents know immediately when important assignments are late or missing.
33Writing Blockers p.9-10
34Writing Sample
Using the Writing Skills Checklist, determine
the 1 or 2 most important features in this
writing that should be targeted for intervention.
If lost on an island I woud drink water from
the ocean and I woud eat the fruit off of the
trees. Then I woud bilit a house out of trees,
and I woud gather firewood to stay warm. I woud
try and fix my boat in my spare time.
35Using the Writing Skills Checklist, determine
the 1 or 2 most important features in this
writing that should be targeted for intervention.
Existing is being unique. Existence, reality,
essence, cause, or truth is uniqueness. The
geometric point in the center of the sphere is
natures symbol of the immeasurable uniqueness
within its measurable effect. A center is always
unique otherwise it would not be a center.
Because uniqueness is reality, or that which
makes a thing what it is, everything that is real
is based on a centralization.
36Writing Samples Medical Charts
- The patient refused autopsy.
- The patient has no previous history of suicides.
- Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left
side for over a year. - On the second day the knee was better, and on the
third day it disappeared. - The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She
also appears to be depressed. - Discharge status Alive but without my
permission.
Source Bioethics Discussion Blog
http//bioethicsdiscussion.blogspot.com/2005/06/u
nintended-humor-bad-chart-writing.html
37Sample Writing Interventions
38- "Success comes before work only in the
dictionary." - Anonymous
39Reading Writing Performance Time-Line
Sources Pressley, M., Wharton-McDonald, R.
(1997). Skilled comprehension and its development
through instruction. School Psychology Review,
26(3), 448-467. Gersten, R., Baker, S.,
Edwards, L. (1999). Teaching expressive writing
to students with learning disabilities A
meta-analysis. New York National Center for
Learning Disabilities.
40Cover-Copy-Compare (Murphy, Hern, Williams,
McLaughlin, 1990)
- Students increase their spelling knowledge by
copying a spelling word from a correct model and
then recopying the same word from memory. Give
students a list of 10-20 spelling words, an index
card, and a blank sheet of paper. For each word
on the spelling list, the student - copies the spelling list item onto a sheet of
paper, - covers the newly copied word with the index card,
- writes the spelling word again on the sheet
(spelling it from memory), and - uncovers the copied word and checks to ensure
that the word copied from memory is spelled
correctly. Repeat as necessary.
41Monitoring to Increase Writing Fluency (Rathvon,
1999)
- Students gain motivation to write through daily
monitoring and charting of their own and
classwide rates of writing fluency. - Assign timed freewriting several times per week.
- After each freewriting period, direct each
student to count up the number of words he or she
has written in their daily journal entry (whether
spelled correctly or not). - Have students to record their personal
writing-fluency score in their journal and also
chart the score on their own time-series graph
for visual feedback. - Collect the days writing-fluency scores of all
students in the class, sum those scores, and
chart the results on a large time-series graph
posted at the front of the room. - Raise the class goal by five percent per week.
42Student Monitoring Chart
43A Memory Device for Proofreading (Bos Vaughn,
2002)
- When students regularly use a simple, portable,
easily memorized plan for proofreading, the
quality of their writing improves significantly. - Create and have students refer to a classroom
with the SCOPE proofreading elements Spelling
Are my words spelled correctly Capitalization
Have I capitalized all appropriate words,
including first words of sentences, proper nouns,
and proper names? Order of words Is my word
order (syntax) correct? Punctuation Did I use
end punctuation and other punctuation marks
appropriately? Expression of complete thoughts
Do all of my sentences contain a noun and verb to
convey a complete thought?
44Stimulate Writing Interest With an Autobiography
Assignment (Bos Vaughn, 2002)
- Assigning the class to write their own
autobiographies can motivate hard-to-reach
students who seem uninterested in most writing
assignments. Have students read a series of
autobiographies of people who interest them.
Discuss these biographies with the class. Then
assign students to write their own
autobiographies. (With the class, create a short
questionnaire that students can use to interview
their parents and other family members to collect
information about their past.) Allow students to
read their autobiographies for the class.
45- "The worst thing you write is better than the
best thing you didn't write." - Anonymous
46Use Selective Proofreading With Highlighting of
Errors
- To prevent struggling writers from becoming
overwhelmed by teacher proofreading corrections,
select only 1 or 2 proofreading areas when
correcting a writing assignment. - Create a student writing skills checklist that
inventories key writing competencies (e.g.,
grammar/syntax, spelling, vocabulary, etc.). - For each writing assignment, announce to students
that you will grade the assignment for overall
content but will make proofreading corrections on
only 1-2 areas chosen from the writing skills
checklist. (Select different proofreading targets
for each assignment matched to common writing
weaknesses in your classroom.)
47Use Selective Proofreading With Highlighting of
Errors Cont.
- To prevent cluttering the students paper with
potentially discouraging teacher comments and
editing marks - underline problems in the student text with a
highlighter and - number the highlighted errors sequentially at the
left margin of the student paper. - write teacher comments on a separate feedback
sheet to explain the writing errors. Identify
each comment with the matching error-number from
the left margin of the students worksheet. - TIP Have students use this method when
proofreading their own text.
48Selective Proofreading With Highlighting of
Errors
Tommy Ridgeway
Dec 1, 2006
Mrs. Richman
49- "A ratio of failures is built into the process
of writing. The wastebasket has evolved for a
reason." - Margaret Atwood
50Integrated Writing Instruction (MacArthur,
Graham, Schwarz, 1993 )
- The instructor follows a uniform daily
instructional framework for writing instruction. - Status-checking. At the start of the writing
session, the instructor quickly goes around the
room, asking each student what writing goal(s) he
or she plans to accomplish that day. The
instructor records these responses for all to
see. - Mini-Lesson. The instructor teaches a mini-lesson
relevant to the writing process. Mini-lessons are
a useful means to present explicit writing
strategies (e.g., an outline for drafting an
opinion essay) as well as a forum for reviewing
the conventions of writing. Mini-lessons should
be kept short (e.g.,5-10 minutes) to hold the
attention of the class.
51Integrated Writing Instruction Cont. (MacArthur,
Graham, Schwarz, 1993 )
- Student Writing. During the session, substantial
time is set aside for students to write. Their
writing assignment might be one handed out that
day or part of a longer composition (e.g., story,
extended essay) that the student is writing and
editing across multiple days. When possible,
student writers are encouraged to use computers
as aids in composing and editing their work. - Peer Teacher Conferences. At the end of the
daily writing block, the student may sit with a
classmate to review each other's work, using a
structured peer editing strategy. During this
discussion time, the teacher also holds brief
individual conferences with students to review
their work, have students evaluate how
successfully they completed their writing goals
for the day, and hear writers' thoughts about how
they might plan to further develop a writing
assignment.
52Integrated Writing Instruction Cont. (MacArthur,
Graham, Schwarz, 1993 )
- Group Sharing or Publishing. At the end of each
session, writing produced that day is shared with
the whole class. Students might volunteer to read
passages aloud from their compositions. Students
are encouraged to choose more polished work and
post it on the classroom wall or bulletin board,
have their work displayed in a public area of the
school, publish the work in an anthology of
school writings, read it aloud at school
assemblies, or publish it on a school Internet
site.
53The amount of grammer and usage errors today is
astounding. Not to mention spelling. If I was a
teacher, Id feel badly that less and less
students seem to understand the basic principals
of good writing. Neither the oldest high school
students nor the youngest kindergartner know
proper usage. A student often thinks they can
depend on word processing programs to correct
theyre errors. Know way! Watching TV all the
time, its easy to see why their having trouble.
TV interferes with them studying and its strong
affect on children has alot to due with their
grades. Theres other factors, too, including the
indifference of parents. A Mom or Dad often
doesnt know grammer themselves. They should tell
there children to study hard and to watch less TV
then their classmates.
Source Sandy LaFave, West Valley College,
Saratoga, CA http//instruct.westvalley.edu/lafav
e/writsamp0.htm
54Interventionist TIP Dont Forget ThatWriting
Interventions Are Embedded in a Larger Web of
Potential Academic Intervention Strategies
Writing