Writing Assessment And Instruction For Students With Learning Disabilities, Second Edition

A hands-on guide for anyone who teaches writing to students with learning disabilities
This valuable resource helps teachers who want to sharpen their skills in analyzing and teaching writing to students with learning disabilities. The classroom-tested, research-proven strategies offered in this book work with all struggling students who have difficulties with writing-even those who have not been classified as learning disabled. The book offers a review of basic skills-spelling, punctuation, and capitalization-and includes instructional strategies to help children who struggle with these basics. The authors provide numerous approaches for enhancing student performance in written expression. They explore the most common reasons students are reluctant to write and offer helpful suggestions for motivating them.
Includes a much-needed guide for teaching and assessing writing skills with children with learning disabilities
Contains strategies for working with all students that struggle with writing
Offers classroom-tested strategies, helpful information, 100+ writing samples with guidelines for analysis, and handy progress-monitoring charts
Includes ideas for motivating reluctant writers
Mather is an expert in the field of learning disabilities and is the best-selling author of Essentials of Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement Assessment

Nancy Mather, Ph.D., is a professor at the University of Arizona in the department of Special Education, Rehabilitation, and School Psychology. She specializes in assessment and reading and writing disabilities.
Barbara J. Wendling, M.A., is an educational consultant who has years of clinical experience as a general and special educator and diagnostician in public school settings.
Rhia Roberts, Ph.D., is an educational consultant specializing in assessment and learning disabilities. She trains teachers and school psychologists in districts around the country.

About the Authors.
Dedication and Acknowledgments.
List of Figures and Exhibits.
Foreword.
1. Very Gently with No Red Marks.
2. Components of Written Language.
Handwriting.
Spelling.
Usage.
Vocabulary.
Text Structure.
Conclusion.
3. Theoretical Perspectives and Effective Principles.
Theoretical Perspectives.
Effective Instructional Principles.
Conclusion.
4. Effective Accommodations for Struggling Writers.
Accommodations and Compensatory Strategies.
Determination of the Amount of Support.
Selection of Appropriate Accommodations.
Legal Requirements for Individuals with Learning Disabilities.
Conclusion.
5. Helping Students with Handwriting.
General Principles.
Writing Styles.
Letter Formation.
Writing Speed.
Self-Evaluation.
Informal Assessment.
Examples of Commercial Programs.
Conclusion.
6. Building Basic Writing Skills.
Spelling.
Usage.
Editing.
Examples of Commercial Programs.
Conclusion.
7. Improving Written Expression.
Metacognition, Metalinguistics, and Strategy Instruction.
Vocabulary.
Text Structure.
Revision.
Examples of Commercial Programs.
Conclusion.
8. Informal Assessment and Curriculum-Based Measurement.
Informal Assessment.
Curriculum-Based Measurement.
Conclusion.
9. Analysis of Writing Samples.
Analyzed Writing Samples.
Guided Practice Samples.
Independent Practice Samples.
Conclusion.
10. Writing as Communication.
Factors Affecting Writing.
Hearing the Writer’s Voice.
Conclusion.
References.
Index.