Struggling Writers: How to Improve Their Writing
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Very often, writing is taught to struggling writers in very haphazard and unscientific ways. Such instruction produces very little progress and often promotes student beliefs that for them writing is too difficult and will always be a struggle.
Fortunately, however, writing can be taught in systematic and scientifically-supported ways that promote progress and student beliefs that they can succeed. One such systematic and scientifically-supported method is Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD). SRSD removes the mystery of how to write. It shows students the steps they need to practice to succeed. Read more...
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From Reading and Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan & Dr. Howard Margolis
Parents of struggling writers worry about their children’s struggle. They want to know, “How can I help my child?”
If your child struggles with writing, this post might help you and your child’s school identify the type of writing instruction your child needs. It will do this by first discussing critical but often ignored areas of diagnosis, then discussing a typical but inadequate diagnostic process that can do more harm than good, and finally suggesting actions you can take. A follow-up post will outline one effective, well-researched method for helping struggling writers improve their writing: Self-Regulated Strategy Development. Read more...
diagnosis of writing problems, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, frustration, frustration level, IEP, independent level, instructional level, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, monitoring of reading, parents, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading evaluation, reading intervention, reading levels, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, reading tests, remedial reading, remediation, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, struggling writer, struggling writers, test, testing, tests, Writing, writing assignment, writing assignments, writing diagnosis, writing evaluation, writing problems
In a valuable new book, Virginia W. Berninger and Beverly Wolf challenge the often heard but simplistic charge made against children with learning disabilities: They’re just not motivated. This, Berninger and Wolf argue, is often false: Read more...
diagnosis of writing problems, dysgraphia, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, IEP, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, parents, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, struggling writer, struggling writers, Writing, writing assignment, writing assignments, writing diagnosis, writing evaluation, writing poblems
A recent blog posting said that writing difficulties may be more common than reading difficulties (http://tln.typepad.com/middleweb/2009/05/writtenlanguage-disorder.html#comments). I agree. Here is my response. Read more...
diagnosis of writing problems, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, frustration, frustration level, IEP, independent level, instructional level, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, monitoring of reading, parents, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading evaluation, reading intervention, reading levels, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, reading tests, remedial reading, remediation, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, struggling writer, struggling writers, test, testing, tests, Writing, writing assignment, writing assignments, writing diagnosis, writing evaluation
Children who struggle with reading typically struggle with writing. Even if their reading improves, their writing often doesn’t.
A common reason for their continued difficulty is the failure of their schools to adequately diagnose their writing problems. Instead, their schools limit diagnosis to grade equivalents from standardized tests — “Sawyer’s grade equivalent for writing was 2.9; he’s three years behind.” This statement fails to identify the current causes of Sawyer’s problems. It fails to tell his teachers and parents what he isn’t doing or can’t do that’s causing his writing problems. In all likelihood, instruction that’s built on an inadequate understanding of Sawyer’s problems will be inadequate. It will likely ignore or give short shrift to those parts of the writing process that should be stressed for Sawyer. Read more...
diagnosis of writing problems, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, frustration, frustration level, IEP, independent level, instructional level, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, monitoring of reading, parents, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading evaluation, reading intervention, reading levels, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, reading tests, remedial reading, remediation, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, struggling writer, struggling writers, test, testing, tests, Writing, writing assignment, writing assignments, writing diagnosis, writing evaluation
