Helping with Writing Assignments
Writing is a very complicated task as students must be able to juggle multiple demands such as formulating ideas, transcribing the information in a coherent and sequential manner, and monitoring spelling and mechanics (e.g. punctuation). Children may experience weakness in written expression because of more functional skill deficits (e.g. spelling, mechanics) and/or because they are unable to juggle the multiple demands of the writing process. For children with language disabilities the challenge is even greater.
The writing process involves four key stages:
1. Idea generating or brainstorming the content.
2. Planning for writing and deciding on the structure.
3. Writing a first draft of the key ideas and information.
4. Revising and editing the document.
See below for suggestions and ideas for addressing the challenges that may be faced by the student at each stage. Although this document has been prepared for classroom teachers, parents can adapt many of the suggestions to help children at home as they work on school assignments. Parents may have more time than the teacher to work with the student, and they know more about the child’s interests and strengths. OAFCCD has included some ‘tips’ you may want to consider when working with your child on the development of writing.
One of the first tasks for a parent is to make sure the child understands the assignment and knows how long they have to complete the work. If your child has difficulty with complex instructions or memory problems it is very important that the parent is in regular communication with the teacher, and that a process has been established for recording homework. This could be as simple as a special place in his planner or binder where the assignment is written down. Depending on the child’s needs and abilities, the child could have written the instructions themselves or been provided written instructions by the Teacher. Once it is clear to both you and the child what the assignment involves and when it is due, the parent can help the child to break the assignment into several parts, as illustrated below.
For children who use assistive technology, make sure they understand how to use the software or adaptive devices to complete assignments. For example, for a child who uses Kurzwell, the software can actually be used in the planning and organizing phase. Assignments written with voice recognition software should be carefully reviewed to make sure there are no pronunciation errors that have resulted in the wrong words being selected. The SpellCheck feature can also be used to check spelling – although it can’t check whether the right word has been used and can only make sure the spelling is correct.
Parent Role: Look carefully at the information below and you may see more ideas that you can use at home. You can also talk to the classroom teacher or special education staff at your child’s school for other ideas. Remember is it not your job to do the assignment or to make the corrections. It is your job to help your child develop the skills and confidence to produce written work, and to know how to critically review and revise their own work.
