SUPPORTING RELUNCTANT WRITERS THROUGHOUT THE WRITING PROCESS

The Part the Brain Plays in the Writing Process

The brain is very important in the Writing Process. If only one part of the brain is experiencing difficulty, then the Writing Process will become very challenging.

The main processes in the brain that is involved in the Writing Process are: Selective Attention, Executive Functioning, Metacognition, Motor Skills, Working Memory, Long Term Memory, Emotion and Automaticity. Each of these functions have many, many skills attached to them, and most of these skillsets rely on each other. For example, without Working Memory, Long Term Memory, and Exceutive Functioning working perfectly, Automaticity would be challenging for the person in question.

Here are some video clips about each process of the brain. If your student has a challenge with a particular brain process, you will find these videos informative. You should pick and choose which videos to view, as some are longer than others.

Selective Attention:

Executive Function:

Metacognition:

Motor Skills:

This video is using the example of walking up the stairs, but this example could easily be gripping a pen, or hand movements.

Working Memory:

Long Term Memory:

Emotion:

A longer video (about 1 hour) but shares some really good insights about emotion and the brain, and relates it back to learning.

Automaticity:

http://www.learninginfo.org/automaticity.htm

Current Research on the Writing Process

Here is a book that will help educators teach the writing process to students with learning disabilties, and the link you can go to purchase it:

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/home/search/?keywords=Writing%20Better%3A%20Effective%20Strategies%20for%20Teaching%20Students%20with%20Learning%20Difficulties&pageSize=12

Here is a link for ways that parents can support the writing process at home:

http://www.cabrillo.k12.ca.us/faralloneview/files/Parents_Support_Reading_Writing.pdf

Here is a summary of the current research by educators on the Writing Process:

http://www.ksbe.edu/spi/PDFS/Reports/WritingProcessreport.pdf

Writing Disabilities

Dyslexia is a common disability that has to do with langauge aquistion. Here is a video that describes the four types of dyslexia:

Dyslexia is a problem within the area of the brain that deals with language. Here is a video explaining how the brain and dyslexia are related:

Here is an interesting problem of a boy who writes a word, then goes back and re-reads his sentence before he writes the next word. Bonnie Terry explains why he might be doing this and possible methods to help him write faster:

Writing disabilites can also occur in students who have strong reading skills and/or gifted. This has been dubbed 'stealth dsylexia' and below is a video describing a case study of a student who has this:

Spelling Difficulties:

Some students have severe challenges when it comes to spelling. Below is a video detailing some strategies that parents and educators can employ to overcome it:

The book that Bonnie Terry mentions in this video can be purchased via this link:

http://www.bonnieterrylearning.com/products/Learning-Difficulty-Disability-Pre-Screening-Tool-and-Informal-Comprehensive-Identification-Tool.html

Supports for Students with Auditory Disabilities

Auditory disorders incorporate both deafness and hearing loss. The video below is very helpful in explaining the difference between Hearing Loss and Auditory Processing Disorder:

The next video demonstrates what a student with hearing loss hears in the classroom without a FM Transmitter transmitting the teacher's voice, and what he can hear with the FM Transmitter turned on.
There is quite a difference!

The next video is a demo of the iCommunincator software, which converts text into speech, which then can be played via a FM Transmitter or speakers, and also into American Sign Language.

Over at the side of my blog, there is a list of Adaptations that can be used to support a deaf or hearing impaired student in the classroom.

Supports for Students with Visual Impairments

Visual impairment occurs when a person's lack of sight interferes with daily life. There are many causes of visual impairments, ranging from injury to genetics to illness. But these students can still lead a normal life. They go to school, to work, have relationships, etc.

When it comes to schooling, students with visual impairments will need Program Adaptations. Here are several videos outlining a number of Adaptations that may help your particular student.

When this particular video displays criteria for disabilities, it is specific to the location of the video. Ask the principal what your school's criteria is.

On the side of my blog, I have a list of specific Assistive Technology that would help a student with visual impairments.

Supports for Students with Physical Disabilities

Physical Disabilities can be caused by a number of things, from paralysis of a body part to a genetic disorder to an injury. Whatever the cause, physical disabilities are always readily appartent to another person. Here is a video with some really good tips on communicating with a person with a physical disability:

The Adaptations to the school setting for a student with a physical disability are specifically related to the type of disability. Here is a video where the child with the disability is using Assistive Technology to move around:

For the purposes of this blog, fine motor control is critical to the Writing Process. If fine motor difficulties are caught early enough, they can occasionally be corrected. However, Early Intervention by an Occupational Therapist is extremely critical. Here is a video of a girl whose fine motor difficulties were caught early on, and corrected with the help of an Occupational Therapist:

IPhone Apps to Help Relunctant Writers

With all of the below apps, I have included a demo video of the app. Most of these apps cost money, so I was unable to test them out myself, but the demos look promising. The free ones I was able to test out, and they were fun and easy to use.

Handwriting Skills

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