Writing Instruction and Intervention Strategies - Initial ...

Writing Instruction and Intervention Strategies:

Initial Guidance

This document was created by the divisions of Educational Services and MTSS in response to school-based staff's need to assess targeted writing skills and offer intervention due to parent SLD referral. While schools focus on high quality literacy practices and getting systems in place to implement a multitiered system of supports, this document is meant to be a helpful resource for when schools encounter the rare "writing only" SLD referral.

September, 2014

Writing Instruction and Intervention Strategies: Initial Guidance

Table of Contents

Introduction

3

Tier 1 Instructional Strategies

4

General Instructional Techniques

4

Strategy Instruction

6

Tier 2 and 3

7

Instruction/Intervention Strategies

Sentence Combining

7

Self-Regulated Strategy

8

Instruction

Websites

10

References

11

2

Introduction

Purpose of the Guiding Document

Writing is an essential area of learning for MMSD students. Writing is included as one skill area of the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards. Additionally, Written Expression is an Achievement Area for Specific Learning Disability. As a result, it is important for educators to have effective tools to support student learning in writing. The purpose of this guiding document is to describe several evidence-based intervention strategies that educators can use to help students improve writing skills. This document does not include information about evidence-based intervention programs that may address intervention needs in the area of writing (e.g., Rewards Writing). School teams should consider the academic skill needs of students when determining which evidence-based program(s) or evidence-based strategy(s) to use.

To use this document: First, a designated person will need to engage in additional assessment to identify the particular skill(s) that the student needs additional support with in addition to their core instruction. Typically this involves reviewing a student's work sample to see what kind of writing issue(s) the student may have. An example of a norm-referenced tool is AIMSweb ? Written Expression curriculum-based measure. Next, identify a strategy that might target one or more writing skill(s) determined to be an area of need for the student. For guidance on expected performance by grade level, review the Common Core State Standards for Writing in the English Language Arts domain ().

Organization of the Guiding Document

This document is divided into two sections: Tier 1 Instructional Strategies; and Tier 2 and Tier 3 Instructional Strategies that can be used for intervention purposes. Both sections offer examples of evidence-based intervention strategies that can

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be used with students experiencing challenges with written expression and other writing skills.

For each evidence based strategy, there is a section dedicated to explaining the purpose of the strategy (i.e., the writing skill that the strategy targets), materials needed to use the strategy, and steps used to implement the strategy. Also, a fidelity checklist is included for each strategy so educators can record the level of implementation for the intervention sessions. These checklists outline the important steps to maintain the evidence-based nature of the strategies. However, they can be modified to tailor a strategy to an individual student.

Tier 1 Instructional Strategies:

General Instructional Techniques and Strategy Instruction

Effective Core Instructional Practices: General Instructional Techniques

Tier 1, or core instruction, is the collection of instructional practices used in the classroom with all students to teach the general education curriculum. Several instructional strategies have been identified through research as effective practices for teaching writing skills in the classroom.

Model the target writing skills: Model the specific writing skill that you want students to learn during writing instruction. Effective modeling involves modeling the thought processes a writer engages in to use the writing skill, in addition to the actual production of the writing. The goal is to have students imitate the important components of the target writing skill.

Provide students with opportunities to write: Consistent, predictable writing times are important to help students develop writing skills. Activities during writing time include planning, writing, and revising. A recommended time is 45 to 60 minutes of writing time daily.

Have students set clear and specific goals for writing assignments: Students should know the purpose of each writing assignment. State the writing skill goal for each assignment. Goals can be used at each stage of the writing process, not just the end goal of the complete written topic.

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 Provide opportunities for peer collaboration: Give students time to work together on the writing process. This strategy works best when peer pairs have students with different levels of writing ability. Additionally, provide students with specific instructions and modeling for what they should be doing with their writing partner.

Provide students with frequent and specific feedback on their writing: Help students understand the skills they have mastered and the skills they need to work on in writing. Give feedback on an all writing assignments in relation to the assignment goals and the target writing skills. Keep students motivated ? make it a balance of positive reinforcement for writing skills that were demonstrated and constructive feedback on writing skills that students can continue to improve.

Provide students with the opportunities to revise their writing: Make time for students to revise their writing assignment. Feedback will have a greater impact on learning if students have the chance to revise their writing based on feedback from teachers

Integrity Observation Checklist: Core Instruction Practices

Strategy

Yes

No

Modeled the target

writing skill(s)

Provided students

opportunity to write

Set clear and specific

goals for writing

assignment

Provided opportunities

for peer collaboration

Provided students with

feedback on writing

Provided opportunities

for revision of writing

The core Tier 1 instructional strategies can be delivered to students that need intervention in addition to the core level (i.e., Tier 2 and Tier 3) at a more intensive level. For example, the same core instructional strategies can be used in a writing intervention with modification that include smaller teacher to student

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