Instructional Videos
Advice for Writing Instruction for Students with Significant Disabilities
Old Assumptions and New Perspectives on Writing for Students with Significant Disabilities
Teaching Students to Write Independently: Less is More!
A Team Approach to Teaching Beginning Writers
How to Create Effective Accommodations in Writing
Instructional Infographics
Is it Writing?
This resource can be used to help educational teams critically examine the current and future writing practices commonly used with student writers with complex learning needs (CLN). Some common practices used in classrooms are NOT writing (e.g., symbol writing) and should be avoided. All students, especially those with CLN, need access to all 26 letters of the alphabet when writing and have opportunities to create letter combinations, words, and sentences.
Tips for Supporting Students.
During writing time, it is important that educators use strategies that support student independence and foster students’ positive self-concept about writing. Giving students words and ideas, and helping them spell, creates dependence on others and results in them questioning their internal actions and thoughts.
Use this resource to guide your support when each student is producing a writing product, and think about how student writing time should be student-driven, independent, and not a time for instruction. Educators can print this handout and keep it next to you during writing time.
Wanting Too Much Too Soon
When educational teams introduce writing instruction, and authentic writing opportunities, they are often over eager to have students with CLN write their first real word, sometimes in the first month.
This resource serves as a reminder to BE PATIENT, it may take years to achieve that goal. Support your students in becoming independent, self-confident writers, who are active participants in their learning.
