Sonya's Inquiry

After the scanning phase, we discussed as a team some of the barriers that we felt hinder our students writing ability.

• not knowing what to write about
• the mechanics of writing
• Poor oral language skills

After looking at the needs of the target students who were in my writing group I found the above were the most common barriers.  Ashea, due to his Autism, finds the mechanic of writing hard and will often sit trying to work out what to write about.

Bradley also finds it difficult to write.  But listening to him speak it is clear that spoken Oral language is his difficulty.

For D'Angelo spoken language was also an issue.  Progress has been compounded by poor attendance and I suspect immersion in an overseas foreign language school where he says it was very hard to communicate with others.

Therefore, my big question is

'How I can capitalise on Oral language Activities to support Achievement in Writing'.

Research Referred to

The Centre for Development of Learning http://www.cdl.org/language/
Explains the link between Reading, Writing and Oral Language

https://www.tcdsb.org/ProgramsServices/SpecialEducation/Speech/Documents/The%20Link%20Between%20Oral%20Language%20and%20Reading.pdf

http://go.grapeseed.com/rs/216-LZY-073/images/GrapeSEED%20WhitePapers.pdf

Initial Data

Bradley

Ashea

D'Angelo

Final Data collected to be analysed.

Bradley

Ashea

Ashea

D'Angelo

Rachel's Spiral of Inquiry

Writing Inquiry Spirals Of Inquiry

From the scanning phase, we see that students have quite a range of barriers to their writing. These included poor oral language, poor motor skills/handwriting, poor reading and spelling skills, dyslexia, ADHD, processing and ESOL learners.  With such a high number of needs, I wondered how we could apply strategies that may help most of our learners.  This brought me to wondering about the technologies that might useful to our learners.  For example, word processing/prediction programmes could help with spelling and recording difficulties.  

This led me to my question: How can assistive technology support low writers?

Assistive technology [AT] refers to devices and services that are used to increase, maintain, or improve the capabilities of a student with a disability.  It doesn't always mean computers.   AT be applications such as speech to text or iWordQ, or low tech items such as pencil grips and graphic organisers.  AT can help students to break down and achieve a task, or to bypass areas of challenge.  For example, Text to Speech software helps a student to listen to information, bypassing the need to decode it for themselves.

Computerised AT can help students to improve their writing, by bypassing some of the mechanical aspects that writing demands. For example, spell check and grammar features support areas of challenge, freeing students to focus on crafting their ideas.  AT can also increase a student's attitude and self-esteem for writing by allowing them to produce better work.   For example, word processing programmes allow students  to easily edit their drafts, resulting in better grammar, spelling, sequencing and neater publishing of writing.  

There are an enormous range of writing ATs available.  For example, text-to-speech - speech-to-text, word prediction and graphic organisers, built up grips, larger / thicker pencils, word prediction, word processing, talking tins etc.  For the purpose of this Inquiry, I will focus on experimenting with electronic AT programmes that I think may best support my target learners.

* Need to find article and site

Who are my target writers this term?

Jayden Kilroe:  Writing Level 1B (should be 2B).  Jayden has recently been diagnosed this October with ADHD.  He is unable to construct a sentence, without teacher support.  He struggles with speech, focusing, sequencing ideas, spelling and handwriting. 

Programmes that may help: STEPS, Word Q (How WordQ can help ADHD students), you tube clips for motivation, teamed with frequent breaks and teacher aide support.  Also to continue with Multilinks, PM Readers etc.

Plan: Writing sample of a recount week 1 of Term 4.  Then introduce the programme to him.  Teacher Aide to support Jayden in accessing the programme initially.

Will Fraser: Writing Level 1P (should be 2B).  Will has some processing issues.  He is reading (but not always understanding) at the expected year 3 standard.  Will struggles with ideas and intermittently zones out. Mum says there is dyslexia in the family, and wonders if he he is on the spectrum. 

Programmes that may help: STEPS, WordQ, providing Youtube clips to describe. Text to speech to read back writing to check for sense. 

Plan:  Writing sample of a recount week 1 of Term 4.  Then introduce the programmes to him.

Bradley Archbold: Has ideas, but struggles with structuring and recording his writing.

Programmes that may help: Word Q/Word processing programmes. Youtube clips to inspire and describe. Text to speech to read back writing to check for sense.

Luke Boyd (secondary group): Writing level 1A (should be 2P)

Luke has strong ideas and fantastic vocabulary, but he is challenged in recording his ideas due to dyslexia.  Luke is keen to write when he has been inspired by a topic.  He is challenged with behaviour that stems from anxiety, particularly around literacy time.

Programmes that may help: Word Q/Word processing, Text to speech to read back writing for sense.

Investigating Programmes

WordQ Assistive Technology for the Classroom

WordQ is assistive technology that helps students to write by predicting the words you they need.  WordQ has a pop up window that offers choices of words, based on the other words in a sentence.  WordQ provides the writer with examples of a word in a sentence, so that students are able to identify the correct spelling of the word they need.

WordQ is simple in its function.  It will read words back to you as you type, and it reads back the sentence after you type the closing punctuation.  Students can also highlight the text, and click the read button to hear their story read back to them.