by Linda Mikotis
Listening, speaking, reading, and writing are the four domains necessary for language acquisition. Each domain contributes to a different area of language development beginning at a child’s birth. Throughout his life, exposure to these domains varies from family to family and child to child. Some children have difficulty attaining language skills through one or more of the domains, thus contributing to a deficit in one or more subject area. One way to assist a child in language development is to provide learning experiences that are multi-sensory in nature. Multi-sensory means that more than one of the child’s five senses is actively engaged during the learning process. When this approach is taken, the information has a greater chance of being stored in the right side of the brain. The right side of the brain is the long-term memory storage side. What does this have to do with the Institute for Excellence in Writing methodology and children with special learning needs? The structure and style method of learning systematically and sequentially incorporates listening, speaking, reading and writing into each lesson. This effectively contributes to the power and success of teachers, parents, and special needs students across the globe.
The individual lessons within the Excellence in Writing methodology are inherently multi-sensory in their approach and are brimming with language development potential. Beginning with units one and two, children are read a short paragraph and are then asked to identify the key words within each sentence. Re-reading each sentence one at a time, the child is forced to stop and think about each and every word within the sentence, choose the key words, and write them on paper. What is happening during this process? The child is listening while the passage is read. He is reading one sentence at a time orally. He is hearing himself read aloud. He is thinking about the words that are read one at a time. He is choosing the key words and is writing them down in a sequential and structured manner. This is the ideal time to discuss vocabulary. Vocabulary development is often weak for children with language learning difficulties. Learning vocabulary in context has more impact on the brain’s ability to remember the definition. If the word is discussed within a story, the right side of the brain will store the word into the long term memory. It is then ready for retrieval while writing the outline and the eventual paragraph. The word will then be reinforced three times within one writing assignment: while discussing the content, while constructing the outline, and while writing the paragraph. This is very powerful. Once the paragraph is outlined, the child begins the telling back phase. He will tell the story back by looking at the outline and recreating sentences in his own words. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing are all reinforced in this one lesson from the very beginning of this writing process.
Delving deeper into the learning process and analyzing each task, an even richer learning experience is discovered. When the child is asked to re-read each sentence and choose the key words, he is forced to think about the words he has read. What is the significance of this task? He must stop and think. There are two different reading comprehension difficulties for children. Some children read so quickly that the words zip through their brains and comprehension is lost. Others read so slowly and laboriously that comprehension is lost due to the focus on each and every sound and syllable. Given permission to stop and think, both children have only to focus on one sentence at a time. The quick reader must stop, ask his brain to think about the words he speedily read and then write them down in order. The struggling reader can relax after he has completed one sentence and take a deep breath. He is then free to take his time deciding what the key words are within the sentence. He can now write them down in the order they are given in the sentence. Both children improve reading comprehension skills. Over time, this task alone will engage the child’s brain while reading other materials. The brain begins to read from a key word perspective and while it reads, it thinks about the words, syntactically speaking, in the correct order. Deepening the learning experience, using more than one sense, and touching on all four language domains, the child’s overall learning potential is positively impacted.
A richer learning experience is also discovered during the creation of a structured outline. Creating an outline that is complete and comprehensive from top to bottom is a daunting task for most children. The Excellence in Writing methodology demystifies the process by allowing the child to write the key words in the order they are written in the original sentence, at least initially. Later the key word outline is taken from key ideas and key facts in the order in which they are found. In the process, the child is also developing an outline that is written in the correct order from left to right for the re-creation of sentences and ultimately a paragraph in his own words. Syntax, the formation of sentences by putting words in the correct grammatical order, can be difficult for many children for many reasons. This is especially true for children whose first language is not English, as well as for those children who have learning disabilities in the area of language. The key word outline idea addresses this much needed skill. By choosing the key words that will unlock the meaning of the sentence and writing them in order on the paper, the child has a better chance of creating a sentence that is syntactically correct. The key word outline is the cornerstone for all of the writing experiences throughout the structure and style methodology.
Following the completion of the outline, the important telling back phase begins. The telling back phase is especially vital for students who have difficulty with language because it is during this phase that listening, speaking, and reading, and writing all come together. It is also during the telling back phase that syntax is checked before the child even begins to write the sentence on paper. Listening to himself speak orally, the brain begins to process the words while the ear hears them. The child is then better able to put back into the verbal sentence the words necessary for a complete grammatical sentence. It is at this time that any needed intervention or verbal modeling can take place. The outline can also be changed at this time to better prepare the student for successful sentence construction. If the source text is taken from other academic curricula, the child will be internalizing the information and vocabulary necessary to remember the content. Utilizing all four language domains for proper language acquisition leads to a successful writing and learning experience. Strengthening and solidifying the skills necessary for the key word outline and the telling back phase, the child builds writing and grammar confidence.
The use of proper English grammar is also a much needed skill for the advancement of a child’s writing ability. Without writing, grammar and spelling may seem to serve no purpose. Writing, however, is the direct application of English grammar and spelling. A child with special learning needs will begin to recognize grammar rules and learn to use them effectively when they are presented within the context of “dressing-up” writing. By teaching grammar alongside writing, the child discovers the need for learning such things. One subject enhances the other. A child’s attitude may change regarding the study of grammar when he sees the need for it. In fact, some students have come to the conclusion that by learning to write, English grammar has become easier. This is true because the child is learning to write by immediately using grammar rules and then when they are encountered in the English book, the child emphatically states, “Hey, I know what an adjective is. I use it in my writing!” This realization can change attitudes and thereby move mountains in the learning process. The teacher, parent, and child immediately see the value in learning grammar when it is taught in conjunction with writing style.
The effectiveness of Excellence in Writing for special needs learners hinges on the effective use of the checklist. The checklist defines the stylistic techniques a parent or teacher may want to see in a child’s writing, but more importantly it defines them for the child. How many times does a parent or teacher attempt to coax a child into writing more detail by stating, “Honey, can you add a little more information here? Or can you describe this a little more there?” If the child could do that without guidance, he probably would have done it to begin with. The checklist gives the nebulous act of writing the structure and at the same time the style it needs to add the little details that enliven the final product. By learning and practicing one stylistic item at a time on the checklist, the student with learning challenges gains confidence in his ability to “sound better” and “feel smarter” while at the same time reinforces syntax and grammar.
The child who struggles with writing also appreciates the structural models and checklist because then he knows what the specific assignment is and he knows when he is finished. If he puts all of the items expected of him in his paragraph and structures the sentences, paragraphs, or composition as modeled, he feels a sense of accomplishment as he checks them off and completes the task in an orderly manner. He also knows that his parent or teacher will be satisfied with his attempt to finish his writing assignment as directed. A student who needs to see goals written down in order to remember them is thankful for such a checklist and structural model. He doesn’t need to rely solely on his memory. Some children have short-term memory problems and others have long-term memory problems. The models and checklist address both needs. He does not need to remember everything that was taught in the writing process along with everything that is expected of him for each assignment. The goals are well defined and expectations are clear. The brain is then free to think about the sentence being constructed instead of trying to remember and assimilate all of the instructions along with writing the sentences. The child feels less cluttered and more focused as he organizes his writing assignment and checks things off of his stylistic list.
The Institute for Excellence in Writing provides a comprehensive, multi-sensory approach to writing that incorporates listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Children with learning challenges are encouraged by the systematic method of introducing structure and style into their writing. Beginning with the key word outline, children are taught to think sequentially while building vocabulary and English grammar skills. Telling the story back from the outline, the child cements syntax, vocabulary, and content, thereby enriching his learning experience. The discovery of English grammar rules while writing reinforces the skills taught in the child’s grammar book. Rote grammar rules become concrete and immediately applicable and sometimes they are even taught within the context of writing before they are encountered in the grammar book making the discovery even more profound. Using the nine models provides the structure especially needed for children with learning disabilities without the added burden of remembering what is expected while he is learning to write. The checklist provides a comprehensive reminder of stylistic techniques to be checked off. Together the models and checklist help the child to create a writing assignment to be proud of. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing are the keys to language development and the success of the Institute for Excellence in Writing methodology for children with special language learning needs.