Long Abstract Ready, Set, Write! Alternative Pencils and Writing Activities for Students with the Most Significant Needs

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1 Long Abstract Ready, Set, Write! Alternative Pencils and Writing Activities for Students with the Most Significant Needs INTRODUCTION The Problem & Understanding Students Literacy Needs Typically developing emergent writers and readers spend over 1000 hours actively engaged with print (Heath, 1983). From the very start this includes writing, an essential component in developing fundamental understandings about literacy. These important early writing experiences include drawing, scribbling, pseudo letter formation, early name writing, and early sound spelling. Such experiences and resulting understandings are critical for the later development of conventional writing as students enter elementary school. In contrast to their typically developing peers, students with the most significant disabilities struggle with vision, speech and physical challenges and have very few early writing experiences, if any, placing them at serious risk for continued literacy development (Pierce & McWilliam, 1983). However, studies of students with significant disabilities have shown that this population can make progress with literacy development when given access to the same types of literacy activities that typical students receive (Blischak, 1995; Erickson et al, 2005; Erickson & Koppenhaver, 2003; Erickson, Koppenhaver, Yoder, & Nance, 1997). FOCUS Solutions & Resources This workshop will provide a brief overview of the role of writing in emergent literacy development, emphasizing the differences between the needs of emergent writers and early conventional writers. The focus of the workshop will be on setting up and implementing meaningful writing activities for a range of beginning writers from emergent writers who have very little understanding of print to early conventional writers who are starting to do some beginning sound spelling. Find an Easy Way to Write: Use an Alternative Pencil! Frequently, students with significant disabilities are given pictures, phrases and multiple choices from which to write. This population of students has had few if any opportunities to write with the actual alphabet. In getting started with the alphabet, writers need to have an easy way to generate letters. For most of these students with significant physical needs, handwriting is a dead end. They need a different way to write that doesn t involve using a pencil by hand. This population of students need some kind of alternative pencil, (Erickson & Hanser, (2009). A range of alternative pencils will be described and demonstrated; these alternative pencils give full access to the entire un-adapted alphabet. Criteria for selecting the appropriate alternative pencil to meet the needs of different students will be discussed. What Should They Write? Before a writing activity begins, it is essential to establish a meaningful reason to write. It could be something related to a classroom activity, a journal entry, a picture caption,

2 cards, s, poetry, and/or signs. Having real reasons to write teaches students that writing has purpose and power. Having a clear purpose also provides a context for teaching students. In the workshop, we will demonstrate strategies for students to choose topics for writing, such as remnant books. In addition to topic setting, a range of authentic writing activities will be demonstrated. Teaching Students About Their Writing When getting started with an alternative pencil, many students start by generating random letters that may not spell anything; this is considered scribble. (This is no different then kids without disabilities when they get started with writing.) Or, they may be doing sound spelling where they generate words with key sounds. Besides having an easy way to write and meaningful reasons to write, students need instructional feedback about their writing, regardless of its ability to be read. Instructional feedback is in the form of a mini-lesson that targets a specific element in students writing. During the workshop, an extensive list of instructional feedback mini-lessons will be shared. In particular, a very powerful strategy using video feedback using apps will be demonstrated. SUMMARY From the very start, writing is an unquestioned component of literacy development for children without disabilities. However, for children with complex communication needs, intellectual needs and significant physical challenges, writing is often impossible due to their many challenges. The focus of the workshop will be on implementing meaningful writing activities for a range of beginning writers from emergent writers who have little understanding of print to early conventional writers who are starting to do sound spelling. Individual and group writing activities will be demonstrated, along with teaching strategies, sample goals, informal assessment methods and ways for students to write and scribble using alternative pencils that do not require hand use. A range of apps that support writing will be shared along with strategies for video modeling as a method of instruction. Videos and writing samples will be shown of real students with significant disabilities in preschool to high school classrooms. REFERENCES Blischak, D. M. (1995). Thomas the writer: Case study of a child with severe physical, speech and visual impairments. Language, Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, 26, Brice-Heath, S. (1983). Ways with words: Language, life, and work in communities and classrooms. New York: McGraw-Hill; Oxford University Press. Erickson, K. A., Clendon, S., Abraham, L., Roy, V., & Van de Carr, H. (2005). Toward positive literacy outcomes for students with significant developmental disabilities. Assistive Technology Outcomes and Benefits, 2(1),

3 Erickson, K.A., Hanser, G. (2009). Writing with Alternative Pencils CD. Center for Literacy & Disability Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Erickson, K. A., Koppenhaver, D. A., Yoder, D. E., & Nance, J. (1997). Integrated communication and literacy instruction for a child with multiple disabilities. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 12(3), Koppenhaver, D. A., Erickson, K. A. (2003). Natural emergent literacy supports for preschoolers with autism and severe communication impairments. Topics in Language Disorders, 23(4), Pierce, P. & McWilliam, P. (1993). Emerging literacy and young children with severe speech and physical impairments; Issues and possible intervention strategies. Topics in Language Disorders, 13(2)

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