6/12/2014
1
Writing Assessment Linked to
Accommodations and Instruction
Windy Clark, Ed.D.
Region 4 ESC Dyslexia Consultant
Today’s Goals
1. Understand the need for data-driven decisions on individualized accommodations and instructional strategies
2. Analyze the difficulties in the 5 major components of written language using case studies
3. Examine a framework to guide decisions for selecting accommodations and instructional strategies
4. Develop learning plans for the 5 major components of written language that will positively impact student achievement
•Academic Skills
•Neurodevelopmental Functions
Analyzing Writing Samples
Academic Skills and Neurodevelopmental Functions
Academic Skills
Neurodevelopmental Functions
Linkages
Pohlman, 2008
Spencer – Fourth Grader
Writing Sample
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
Academic Skills and Neurodevelopmental Functions
Academic Skills Handwriting, Spelling, Usage, Vocabulary,
Text Structure
Neurodevelopmental Functions
Motor Skills, Fluid Reasoning, Intelligence, Attention, Executive Functioning, Memory,
Auditory/Visual Spatial Processing
Linkages
Pohlman, 2008
6/12/2014
2
•Writing Demands
• Current Trends in Writing
Need for Data-Driven Decisions
Writing Demands
•Children spend nearly 60% of the school day engaged in the process of written expression. •Deficits in writing have an impact on many academic tasks:
•Copying directions •Taking notes •Composing a story •Answering open-ended questions •Completing a worksheet
Feifer, 2013
Current Trends in Writing
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) commissioned the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2011:
• 52,000 students (Grades: 8th, 12th)
• Proficient – 24% • Basic or below – 53% • Females scored higher – 17 pts
Feifer, 2013
National Impact
• American College Testing (ACT, 2005) report: one-third of students do not meet basic readiness standards •US corporations spend $3.1 billion annually to remediate employee writing skills • State governments spend $221 million
Feifer, 2013
The Need for Data-Driven Decisions on Accommodations
•Qualitative judgments •Lack of goals for using accommodations •Similar accommodations to all students • Implementation constraints affected decisions
Crawford & Ketterlin-Geller (2010)
Effective Teachers
• Analyze a student’s strengths and weaknesses in writing • Develop specific learning plans linked to assessment
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
6/12/2014
3
•Accommodations
• Compensation
• Intervention
Learning Plans
Clarifying Terms
Intervention
•Correcting or eliminating a problem to reach a desired objective
Compensation
•Reaching an objective by other means within your capabilities
Accommodation
•Changing the “how” of learning to work around the disability
Sanders, M., 2001
•Direct/Explicit Instruction •Multisensory Instruction
•Memorization of words •Only use familiar words •Rely on strong oral language skills
•Word Processor •Extended Time •Spelling Dictionary
14
Which One Do You Choose?
Intervention
Compensation
Accommodation
15
Case Study
Intervention Explicit multisensory
handwriting instruction
Compensation Development of
keyboarding skills
Accommodation Computer Processor Extra Time on tests
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
Determining the Amount of Support
17
• Zone of Proximal Development • Students working in their instructional level • Good instruction cannot be too easy or hard
•Instructional Scaffolding
• Determine difficulties/barriers • Select strategies to overcome anticipated problem • As students grow, withdraw supports
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
• 5 Major Components
•Analyze Writing Pieces
Assessment of Writing
6/12/2014
4
Major Components of Written Language
Handwriting
Spelling
Vocabulary
Text Structure
Usage Handwriting
Dan, Grade 4 I am Dan. Dear whomever would be concerned. We at Canyon View think we need help and supplies so if you could help that would be great. Thank you
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
Handwriting
Letter Formation
Slant
Size and Proportion
Spacing
Alignment Line
Quality
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
Letter Formation
Case Study Emily, Grade 5 Sequential Paragraph
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
I get up. And get dress. I eat breakfast. I brush my hair. I brush my teeth. I fix my lunch. I fill my water bottle. I put my stuff in my bag. I put my earrings in my ears said bye to my family and I go to the bus stop. I wait and wait and wait and wait. I go on the bus and I’m at school.
•Is handwriting legible? •Are all letters formed correctly? •Are any letters reversed?
Case Study Emily, Grade 5 Sequential Paragraph
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
I get up. And get dress. I eat breakfast. I brush my hair. I brush my teeth. I fix my lunch. I fill my water bottle. I put my stuff in my bag. I put my earrings in my ears said bye to my family and I go to the bus stop. I wait and wait and wait and wait. I go on the bus and I’m at school.
Slant
•Is the slant appropriate? • Is the slant consistent?
Case Study Emily, Grade 5 Sequential Paragraph
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
I get up. And get dress. I eat breakfast. I brush my hair. I brush my teeth. I fix my lunch. I fill my water bottle. I put my stuff in my bag. I put my earrings in my ears said bye to my family and I go to the bus stop. I wait and wait and wait and wait. I go on the bus and I’m at school.
Size and Proportion
•Is the size of upper/lower case letters correct? •Is the letter size consistent?
6/12/2014
5
Case Study Emily, Grade 5 Sequential Paragraph
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
I get up. And get dress. I eat breakfast. I brush my hair. I brush my teeth. I fix my lunch. I fill my water bottle. I put my stuff in my bag. I put my earrings in my ears said bye to my family and I go to the bus stop. I wait and wait and wait and wait. I go on the bus and I’m at school.
Alignment
•Are the letters aligned correctly? • Are the words aligned horizontally and vertically?
Case Study Emily, Grade 5 Sequential Paragraph
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
I get up. And get dress. I eat breakfast. I brush my hair. I brush my teeth. I fix my lunch. I fill my water bottle. I put my stuff in my bag. I put my earrings in my ears said bye to my family and I go to the bus stop. I wait and wait and wait and wait. I go on the bus and I’m at school.
Spacing
•Is the spacing between letters and words correct? •Is the spacing between letters and word consistent?
Case Study Emily, Grade 5 Sequential Paragraph
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
I get up. And get dress. I eat breakfast. I brush my hair. I brush my teeth. I fix my lunch. I fill my water bottle. I put my stuff in my bag. I put my earrings in my ears said bye to my family and I go to the bus stop. I wait and wait and wait and wait. I go on the bus and I’m at school.
Line Quality
•Is the line quality correct? •Is the line quality consistent?
Case Study Darrell, Grade 4 Social Studies Essay
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
Spelling
June, Grade 6 On Saturday my friend came with me and my mother to buy me some shoes. We looked and looked and looked until we found some beautiful orange boots. My friend said they matched my jacket but my mother thought they were too expensive.
Spelling
• Accurately sequence phonemes Phonology
• Recall letter patterns and sight words Orthography
• Vocabulary
• Use of homophones Semantics
• Apply morphological knowledge Morphology
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
6/12/2014
6
Case Study Emily, Grade 5 Sequential Paragraph
• Do most of the misspellings include the sounds in the words?
• Is there knowledge of sound-symbol correspondence?
Phonology
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
I get up. And get dress. I eat breakfast. I brush my hair. I brush my teeth. I fix my lunch. I fill my water bottle. I put my stuff in my bag. I put my earrings in my ears said bye to my family and I go to the bus stop. I wait and wait and wait and wait. I go on the bus and I’m at school.
Case Study Emily, Grade 5 Sequential Paragraph
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
Orthography
I get up. And get dress. I eat breakfast. I brush my hair. I brush my teeth. I fix my lunch. I fill my water bottle. I put my stuff in my bag. I put my earrings in my ears said bye to my family and I go to the bus stop. I wait and wait and wait and wait. I go on the bus and I’m at school.
• Are common sight words spelled correctly?
• Are words spelled consistently, even if incorrect?
Case Study Emily, Grade 5 Sequential Paragraph
• Are homophones spelled correctly?
Semantics
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
I get up. And get dress. I eat breakfast. I brush my hair. I brush my teeth. I fix my lunch. I fill my water bottle. I put my stuff in my bag. I put my earrings in my ears said bye to my family and I go to the bus stop. I wait and wait and wait and wait. I go on the bus and I’m at school.
Case Study Emily, Grade 5 Sequential Paragraph
• Are there morphological errors?
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
I get up. And get dress. I eat breakfast. I brush my hair. I brush my teeth. I fix my lunch. I fill my water bottle. I put my stuff in my bag. I put my earrings in my ears said bye to my family and I go to the bus stop. I wait and wait and wait and wait. I go on the bus and I’m at school.
Morphology
Case Study Darrell, Grade 4 Social Studies Essay
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
Usage Brian, Grade 4 I was asleep then my mom gets my brother and he shouts at me wake up I walked up I took a bath I was lazy as a slug I dressed up. And we were having a big test today then we got in my dad’s car it was shiny as glitter so when we got there we ate a snack then everyone was nervous even me so we took it and I did a really good job then the ms. proud of me then she said do social studies so I was working on it then somebody checked if for me and I got a good grade on it then it was time to go to lunch…
6/12/2014
7
Usage
Capitalization Punctuation
Syntax
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
Case Study Emily, Grade 5 Sequential Paragraph
Capitalization
• Are uppercase letters used correctly?
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
I get up. And get dress. I eat breakfast. I brush my hair. I brush my teeth. I fix my lunch. I fill my water bottle. I put my stuff in my bag. I put my earrings in my ears said bye to my family and I go to the bus stop. I wait and wait and wait and wait. I go on the bus and I’m at school.
Case Study Emily, Grade 5 Sequential Paragraph
Punctuation
•Is appropriate punctuation (period, question mark, exclamation point, comma) used consistently and correctly?
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
I get up. And get dress. I eat breakfast. I brush my hair. I brush my teeth. I fix my lunch. I fill my water bottle. I put my stuff in my bag. I put my earrings in my ears said bye to my family and I go to the bus stop. I wait and wait and wait and wait. I go on the bus and I’m at school.
Case Study Emily, Grade 5 Sequential Paragraph
Syntax
• Are uppercase letters used correctly?
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
• Are articles used correctly? • Are there a variety of sentence patterns? • Is there consistency with verb tense? • What other errors are there in usage?
I get up. And get dress. I eat breakfast. I brush my hair. I brush my teeth. I fix my lunch. I fill my water bottle. I put my stuff in my bag. I put my earrings in my ears said bye to my family and I go to the bus stop. I wait and wait and wait and wait. I go on the bus and I’m at school.
Case Study Darrell, Grade 4 Social Studies Essay
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
Vocabulary
Grace, Grade 6 My friend is always saying that I did a great job and it means a lot to me. Sometimes I know when she is saying the truth. Although sometimes she just says it to make me feel better. So far she is doing a great job at it.
6/12/2014
8
Vocabulary
Descriptive Appropriate
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
Case Study Emily, Grade 5 Sequential Paragraph
Descriptive
• Do the words add depth to the writing? • Is there use of figurative language? • Do the words add interest?
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
I get up. And get dress. I eat breakfast. I brush my hair. I brush my teeth. I fix my lunch. I fill my water bottle. I put my stuff in my bag. I put my earrings in my ears said bye to my family and I go to the bus stop. I wait and wait and wait and wait. I go on the bus and I’m at school.
Case Study Emily, Grade 5 Sequential Paragraph
Appropriate
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
I get up. And get dress. I eat breakfast. I brush my hair. I brush my teeth. I fix my lunch. I fill my water bottle. I put my stuff in my bag. I put my earrings in my ears said bye to my family and I go to the bus stop. I wait and wait and wait and wait. I go on the bus and I’m at school.
• Are the words age appropriate? • Are the words at the same level of oral language? • Are multisyllabic words used (if grade appropriate)?
Case Study Darrell, Grade 4 Social Studies Essay
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
Text Structure
Eduard, Grade 4 Yes, mom said it’s getting cold. So that means it’s getting winter. I love winter because in the word winter it has win in it. And because you get to have hot cocoa it snows will probably have snowball fight. Snowball fights are so fun, you get to hide and jump up and surprise everybody. It’s getting cold in here isn’t it mom I ask. Yes she replied. I walked over to check the thermometer and it was below 2 degrees! I went to my closet as fast as I could and put on gloves, a coat, a beanie, and a pair of boots. I ran to the window to see if it was snowing…
Text Structure
Genre
• Narrative
• Expository
Coherence/Cohesion
• Text Coherence
• Word Cohesion
• Sentence Cohesion
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
6/12/2014
9
Case Study Emily, Grade 5 Sequential Paragraph
Genre
• Is story grammar followed for a narrative text? • Is the organization structure appropriate for an expository text?
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
I get up. And get dress. I eat breakfast. I brush my hair. I brush my teeth. I fix my lunch. I fill my water bottle. I put my stuff in my bag. I put my earrings in my ears said bye to my family and I go to the bus stop. I wait and wait and wait and wait. I go on the bus and I’m at school.
Case Study Emily, Grade 5 Sequential Paragraph
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
I get up. And get dress. I eat breakfast. I brush my hair. I brush my teeth. I fix my lunch. I fill my water bottle. I put my stuff in my bag. I put my earrings in my ears said bye to my family and I go to the bus stop. I wait and wait and wait and wait. I go on the bus and I’m at school.
• Are cohesive ties used? • Are the ideas sequentially appropriate? • Is the writing organized? • Is the topic maintained throughout the text?
Coherence and Cohesion
Case Study: Learning Plan Emily, Grade 5 Sequential Paragraph
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
•Practice with letters that require a bridge when joined (b, o, v, w) •Review correct letter formation below the line (y, g) •Remind Emily to leave a space after sentences. •Individualized spelling list •Use of dictionary •Elkonin boxes – match letters to sounds •Build words with plastic letters , scramble, and build from memory •Teach how to pronounce words slowly and sequence letters in order •Use CBM to monitor correct letter sequences •Teach a variety of sentence patterns and encourage different sentence starters •Instruction in verb tense throughout a paragraph •Daily writing •Modified cloze procedure to expand sentences •Teach how to write a topic sentence and simple cohesive ties •Teach different ways to expand on topic sentence to maintain topic
Case Study Darrell, Grade 4 Social Studies Essay
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
Case Study: Learning Plan Darrell, Grade 4 Social Studies Essay
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
Discuss recommendations for Darrell’s Learning Plan.
• Student Profiles
•Accommodations
• Instruction
Individualized Learning Plan
6/12/2014
10
Student Profiles
Assets Weaknesses
Linking Handwriting Data to Accommodations and Instruction
Handwriting Accommodations •Pencil grip •Tape paper down/use a clipboard •Raised lines for proper spacing •Paper slant reminders •Uppercase and lowercase alphabet strip •Template of heading •Do not penalize for neatness or spelling •Word processor •Speech-to-Text software •Word Prediction software •Extra time •Reduce board copying/note-taking •Break writing into stages •Use of primary paper with a middle line •Choice of manuscript or cursive •Handwriting apps
Handwriting Instruction •Occupational therapy •Cutting, tracing, coloring, copying •Instruction in pencil grasp, posture, paper positioning •Multisensory handwriting approach •Direct instruction in letter formations •Dotted representations •Sequential groupings of letters •Daily timed writings •Self-evaluation checklist •Opportunities to practice •Teacher modeling of correct handwriting
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
Linking Handwriting Data to Accommodations and Instruction
Linking Spelling Data to Accommodations and Instruction
Spelling Accommodations •Rubric for qualitative evaluation of errors •Personalized Spelling Dictionary/Dictionary •Word processor: Spell Check •Grade written work on content •Speech-to-Text software •Text-to-Speech software •Provide proofreading assistance •Frequently misspelled word list •Pocket spellchecker •Word-prediction software
Spelling Instruction •Direct, systematic instruction •Teach spelling patterns in order of frequency •Provide instruction in basic spelling rules •Practice spelling in writing •Teach word structure, origin, and meaning •Individualized spelling lists •Irregular words list •Spelling Flow Chart •Segmentation with colored chips •Elkonin Boxes •Phoneme-Grapheme Mapping •Making words with alphabet letters •Word study strategies
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
Linking Spelling Data to Accommodations and Instruction
0 = Not all sounds represented 1= All sounds marked, but 1-3 letters aren’t reasonable representations 2= All sounds marked with reasonable representations 3=The spelling is almost conventional 4=Correct spelling
c a t b ir d
f i sh h o p e
m oo n h e l p
f igh t sh i p
Linking Usage Data to Accommodations and Instruction
Usage Accommodations •Word processor •Thesaurus •Dictionary •Revising/Editing checklist •Editing symbols chart •Word-prediction software •Common rules chart •Writing process chart/checklist
Usage Instruction •Teach most common rules first •Provide time to apply to student writing •Use mentor texts for usage models •Teach capitalization/punctuation rules in order of frequency •Sentence guides •Sentence expansion charts •Teach editing strategies (COPS) •Peer conferences •Teacher conferences •Model revising and editing process
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
6/12/2014
11
Linking Usage Data to Accommodations and Instruction
Who? Did what? To whom?
Article Noun Verb Conjunction Article Noun Verb
Linking Vocabulary Data to Accommodations and Instruction
Vocabulary Accommodations •Dictionary •Thesaurus •Electronic text: animation cues •Software: word pronunciation/definition •Personalized vocabulary dictionary •Affix Chart
Vocabulary Instruction •Numerous exposures to words •Connections with similar word meanings •Opportunities for meaningful use of words •Classification •Cuing strategies •Morphology instruction •Structural analysis maps •Semantic feature analysis •Synonyms and antonyms
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
Linking Vocabulary Data to Accommodations and Instruction
Prefix
Dis-
obey
respect
please
trust
Transportation Wheels Engine Speed Cost
Horses - - - -
Bicycle + - - -
Car + + + +
Linking Text Structure Data to Accommodations and Instruction
Text Structure Accommodations •Word processor •Check-list of self-monitoring questions •Graphic organizers •Examples of text structures •Mentor texts •Online Encyclopedia •Writing process reference
Text Structure Instruction •Direct, explicit instruction •Teach different text structures •Teach and model the writing process •Teach cohesive ties •Narrative Grammar •Story maps •Character description •Shared writing •KWL procedure •Graphic organizers •Teach outlines and prewriting strategies •Rubrics with performance standards
Mather, Wendling, & Roberts, 2009
Linking Text Structure Data to Accommodations and Instruction
1.
2.
3.
4.
Case Study
Analyze Writing Pieces
Determine Assets
Determine Weaknesses
Develop Learning Plan
Ben, Grade 1
6/12/2014
12
Case Study: Learning Plan Ben, Grade 1
Discuss recommendations for Ben’s Learning Plan.
1.
2.
References Berninger, V. & Wolf, B. (2009). Teaching Students with Dyslexia and Dysgraphia: Lessons from Teaching and Science. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Crawford, L., & Tindal, G. (2004). Effects of a read-aloud modification on a standardized reading test. Exceptionality, 12(2), 89-106. Feifer, S. (2013). The Neuropsychology of Written Language. Middletown, MD: School Neuropsych Press, LLC. Fletcher, J. M., Francis, D. J., Boudousquie, A., Copeland, K., Young, V., Kalinowski, S., Ovalley,Young, Copeland, Mehta, & Vaugn. (2006). Effects of accommodations on high-stakes testing for students with reading disabilities. Exceptional Children, 72,136–150. International Dyslexia Association. (2008). Dyslexia Basics Fact Sheet Mather, N., Wenddling, B., & Roberts, R. (2009). Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Pohlman, C. (2008). Revealing Minds: Assessing to Understand and Support Struggling Learners. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Rief, S. & Stern, J. (2010). The Dyslexia Checklist: A Practical Reference for Parents and Teachers. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Pub. L. No. 93-112, 87 Stat. 394 (Sept. 26, 1973). Texas Education Agency. (Revised 2007, Updated 2010) The dyslexia handbook: Procedures concerning dyslexia and related disorders. Austin, Texas.