Cognitive Science 301

Applied Cognitive Science and Education
Fall 2006

Writing and Spelling (continued)

Writing (continued)

Assessment

• Adequate assessment must include observations of the individual during writing to analyze the following:
  • Use the Gesell copying task that you did in class
    • to estimate the speed of letter formation
    • the spacing of words on the page
    • ability to copy the appropriate words
    • formation of letters
    • are the letters resting on the line
  • Observe pencil grip and overall posture.  Is the individual leaning on the desk, is his/her head on the desk?
  • Have them write a paragraph with a topic of interest to him/her and analyze the paragraph for strengths and weaknesses in each of the following:
    • spatial ordering
    • grammar
    • spelling
    • semantics
    • sequential ordering
    • higher order cognition
  • What is the individual's overall affective behavior during the task? (resistant, lackadaisical, engaging)
  • Are all areas of attention strong?
  • Is the level of the individual's graphomotor skills negatively influencing the writing?
  • Comparison of graphomotor skills and fine motor skills (e.g., compare Figures 10-2 and 10-3)
  • Are there word retrieval problems?
  • Assess the examples of handwriting and language in Figures 10-4 to 10-10.  Be prepared to analyze deficiencies in these examples on the next Quiz.
• Review the different types of assessments listed in Table 10-3.

Management of Writing Weaknesses (pp 375-385)

• Remediation (which is better?)
  • focusing on mechanics of writing and grammar
  • focusing on organization and planning
  • focusing on expression of ideas
  • The best way is to break down the writing process into the different steps that we have covered in the class and figure out the remediation based on the weakest steps.
  • How would you discover what are the weakest steps?
• Bypass strategies
  • Inspiration computer program
  • Voice to text computer programs
  • Accepting oral presentations of ideas
  • Changing or adjusting teacher and parent expectations
  • Adjusting amount of writing
  • Allowing extra time
• Direct intervention
  • Writing in a stepwise fashion - the steps depending on the person's strengths
    • See possible chunks to make different steps in writing on p 378.
• Working on ideas and fluency
  • activate background knowledge
  • brainstorming
    • (Inspiration computer program)
  • outlines
  • working with other students
• Working on organization
  • Semantic/concept maps (Figure 10-11)
  • Create a standardized format
  • Give lists of transition words, etc.
• Vocabulary
• Making syntax work
• Reviewing, revising, editing AND reviewing, revising, editing to produce a finished product
• graphomotor function weakness
  • use of a computer and word processor
  • dictating to another person
  • speaking ideas into a tape recorder
  • work on improving kinesthetic feedback (vary writing surfaces, vary writing implements, use a Pencil Grip)
  • try retraining with a more adaptive tripod grip
• Spelling
  • Spelling is a "multifaceted linguistic skill that integrates and depends on phonological, morphological, semantic, and orthographic knowledge." (from Moats 1994 as cited on p 386 of Levine and Reed)
  • Analysis of patterns or errors may assist in determining the type of instruction and/or remediation that would be helpful.
  • Developmental stages of spelling
    • preconventional spelling: invented spelling
    • growing awareness of grapheme-phoneme relationships: spelling using phonetically "justifiable" rules
    • integration of language: importance and awareness of morphology and syntax to aid in spelling
      • vocabulary is increasing
      • metalinguistic awareness assists in spelling
    • application of rules: learned in school throughout the grades
    • enhanced visualization: recall of visual configurations of words to aid in spelling
    • automaticity: this allows more sophisticated and creative expression of ideas
  • Assessment of spelling
    • identify retrieval vs. recognition difficulties
    • assessed in the individual's written work (paragraphs, stories, etc.)
    • look for phonetically correct misspellings (what does that indicate?)

Main Ideas

1. Assessment of writing demands analysis of graphomotor skills: speed of writing, letter formation, appropriate tripod pencil grip
2. Affective behavior (or how an individual approaches the task) during writing can give important information to a careful observer about the demands of writing that s/he is experiencing.
3. If writing is a problem, determine whether remediation is appropriate based on the age of the individual.
4. Other strategies of managing writing weaknesses involve bypass strategies using technology and computers.
5. Organization can help fluency by creating concept maps and outlines (depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the individual)
6. Spelling depends on many different linguistic skills (phonology, morphology, semantics and orthographic knowledge of words)

Questions

1. Assess the examples of handwriting and language in Figures 10-4 to 10-10.  Be prepared to analyze deficiencies in these examples on the next Quiz.
2. Develop a technique/assessment for measuring a middle school student's weakness with spelling.
3. Explain why bypass strategies may be the only helpful management for some students.  Describe how different bypass strategies might help and why.
4. What types of remediation might assist a college student who is having trouble producing organized essays and turning them in on time?
5. Explain how enhanced visualization assists in spelling.