Literacy for all

Describe your process for developing hypotheses  (hunch) e.g. what you read, who you talked with.

I met with sally Clendon and we talked about a range of strategies I could try with the diverse nature of the students I work with.

Explain the hypotheses  about teaching that you decided were MOST worth testing, and why.

“We do not believe that a different curriculum is required in order for children with disabilities to succeed in learning to read and write. We have learned, however, that teachers must attend consciously and thoughtfully to the significant learning differences of children with disabilities in order to make good instruction accessible to these students.”
Karen Erickson and David Koppenhaver from Children With Disabilities: Reading and Writing the Four Blocks Way

Writing is Important 

• Writing is a window into a child’s current understandings. 

• Students who write become better readers, writers, and thinkers 

• Some children may learn to access written communication via writing where others may learn to access spoken communication via writing. 

• Writing is a form of communication 

• Children with significant disabilities benefit from the SAME literacy experiences and instructional approaches used with typically developing children .

In my previous blog post, I spoke about using an alternative writing tools/pencils, the link below has some useful information on this.
I will be investigating a range of writing tools and see what works best for my students with diverse challenges.

http://literacyforallinstruction.ca/alternative-pencils-2/

Alternative writing tools/Pencils 

• For students who can not independently access traditional writing utensils, we must consider alternatives. 

• Anything that provides the student with access to ALL 26 letters of the alphabet 

• Pick a “pencil” (writing tool) that has the least brainpower going to form so you can focus on the function of writing. – With limited, unreliable movements, pick one that has the most potential to develop 

• Students do not need to demonstrate the physical ability to use an alternative pencil in order to get one. 

• Students do not need to know their letters or colors to start using an alternative pencil (even the color coded eye gaze frame!)

• Students learn about pencils and letters BY WRITING

. Early writing is a PERFECT way to work on motor skills and letter knowledge 

The Role of Early Writing for Typical Developing Students

Emergent literacy learning starts early with the meaningful social interactions that occur between parents and their children. The modeling of writing and the many purposes of print and how it is formed (i.e. watch mum make shopping list, pay a bill or write a card) is embedded in their daily lives.  A young child may begin exploring writing by making a mark or scribble on a page (or wall), mimicking what they have seen. Parents quite naturally celebrate the writing their children produce. In the process, children develop understandings about print and begin developing the required motor skills. With time and opportunity, a child's' developing understandings become increasingly sophisticated and create the foundation for conventional writing. As a child’s writing moves into the conventional, letters and spellings appear that others can recognize, read and further celebrate. 

 The Difficulties of Writing for Students with Significant Disabilities

Students with significant disabilities, including those with complex communication needs, have fewer and qualitatively different emergent literacy experiences than their typically developing peers (Koppenhaver et al, 1991; Light & Kelford Smith, 1993; Light, Binger & Kelford Smith, 1994). The physical care involved in students with multiple needs often limits the time available for literacy activities. Limited expectations may also play a role in the availability of writing opportunities. These limited expectations also lessen communication opportunities and social interactions that expose students to the purpose(s) of print. If mobility, positioning and vision issues are not considered and appropriately addressed, simply seeing others write, which provides the model to support understanding about the purpose or function of print, may be nonexistent or fragmented. Sometimes teacher training and education is a barrier as well. Meaningful opportunities and alternative pencils/writing tools must be available for student with significant disabilities to progress through the same developmental writing phases as their typically developing peers.

Learn. Create, Share

Complexities of writing

For many of the students I work with, some of whom have complex communication needs and/or relatively limited experiences of generating language, writing presents many challenges. 

To develop writing skills Jane Farrall says, that children need to learn to generate an idea, to think about language, think about the words, the spelling, controlling their “writing tool”, etc. 

The complexity involved in becoming a writer means that we want to help each student to find the simplest writing tool for them. We want to make their writing tool something that uses minimal physical and cognitive energy so that they can focus on all the other aspects of writing development. In the link below, you can view the range of special needs tools.

http://www.janefarrall.com/tools-for-writing-a-suggestion-and-selection-guide/

The Manaiakalani Data, tells us that writing is an area that as a whole most schools are do very well in. At Sommerville this is an area that majority of our students have difficulties with.

I will be embracing the Manaiakalani Pedagogy of Learn, Create, Share to reflect on my inquiry. I began with LEARN and will add Create and Share as I progress.

	Focusing Inquiry	Possible Actions
Learn Focusing Inquiry “What is important (and therefore worth spending time on) given where my students are at?” Achievement Challenge 5 Improve the achievement of students with additional needs in the learning areas of English/key competency using language symbols and texts In 2019 for my inquiry I will be focusing on how the Key Competencies (Managing Self and Relating to Others) increase student engagement and improve writing outcomes for students aged 5-12.	Gather evidence	Since the beginning of the year, I have collected Anecdotal evidence eg. Students work samples, observations, formative assessment tasks, student voice and  parent voice, Because all my students are working within level one of the curriculum, I will be using the developmental writing scale to see where my students are at. This writing scale has been so helpful, because it is the first to accommodate students who are using an alternative pencil. (Egs in my previous posts)
	Scan	These are some comments from a  few of my parents: ’I would just like to see my child pick up a pen and write.’ ‘When will my child write his name on his work.’ ‘I write letters to my child, I would like her to write back.’ ‘I would like my child to write a simple thank you note to his grandparents.’ Comments from Students: ‘I can’t write’ ‘I want to talk not write’ ‘I can’t spell’ ‘You write for me.’ ‘I don’t know what to say.’
	Identify Trends	In special education, due to the complex needs of students, families would like to see their children write for real reasons. Most students lack imagination and need a purpose to write. One of the biggest challenges I’ve noticed is that writing: needs to have a purpose for our students, if not, they are not motivated to write. Students need to know that they are communicating a message. Every child needs a writing tool and the alphabet. Most see writing as a motor task, where they are copying, instead of writing.
	Hypothesis (Hunch)	Whenever we write, we need to think of an idea, then think of the language to describe the idea, then we need to think of the words and how to spell them- and finally we have to select the letters for each word. In the beginning each of  these skills takes a lot of effort and planning. I plan on using a range of special education pedagogy and managing self strategies when working with students.
	Research	Sally Clendon and Jane Farrall’s research and work on teaching writing to children with  special needs has been really helpful.
	Reflect	Ongoing reflection on the work that I am doing. Consultation with staff and colleagues. Looking at what the research says. Adaptations will be made as needed.

What writing looks like at some Sommerville classes.

Emergent Writing

At Sommerville most students are emergent writers

Children explore and experiment with writing. In the process, they develop understandings about the functions and form of print. These understandings become increasingly sophisticated. Hanser (2006)

Writing is about ...

•  Sharing ideas and communicating with others.

•  Writing for real reasons.

•  Thinking and actively constructing print.

•  Exploring the alphabet.

   Making independent attempts.

At Sommerville, we believe that every child needs a writing tool                                                     

 A writing tool includes:

• – Pencils / Pens
• – Flip charts
• – Alphabet boards
• – Eye gaze
• – Keyboards with talking word processors
• – Alternate keyboards
• – Simplified keyboards
• – Onscreen keyboards
• – iPads and apps
• – Speech generating devices
• - Predictive text software

Here are some examples of students writing