Written Expression and Spelling Help
These programs are for children diagnosed with Dysgraphia/Written Expression Disorders or struggling with connected text writing.
Multi-sensory Writing Instruction focuses on forming a solid foundation in the writing skills most needed for school assignments. Writing and thinking skills are tightly linked, and our instruction helps students structure their written ideas with clarity and precision. Our program aims to raise the linguistic complexity of students’ sentences and to improve the organization of their compositions.
The program is divided into two parts: sentences and paragraphs/compositions. Focusing on sentences helps students understand the purpose and structure of a sentence and develop the ability to compose complex sentences that reflect extended thinking. Paragraph instruction helps students arrange their thoughts into a cohesive paragraph, with topic and conclusion sentences. Students are then coached on the writing process: how to plan, outline, draft, revise, edit, and write a final draft for a variety of expository paragraph/composition types. Paraphrasing, note-taking, outlining and summarizing strategies are also taught to enhance the students’ reading and writing skills.
Source: Teaching Basic Writing Skills by Judith C. Hochman
Spelling Instruction
Spelling instruction based on Orton-Gillingham methodology and spelling instruction developed as part of the Take Flight – A Comprehensive Intervention for Students with Dyslexia written by the staff of the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (TSRCH) and Neuhaus Scientific Spelling, Neuhaus Education Center, Houston, Texas.
Spellography is a spelling and word study program that teaches concepts explicitly, systematically, cumulatively—and enjoyably! Spellography’s humorous games, entertaining activities, and engaging instruction reinforce multisyllabic decoding skills, develop reading fluency, teach vocabulary using word roots, and strengthen spelling retention. Spellography can be used in small groups, or with individual students.
Source: Cambrium Learning
Handwriting
Therapist used a combination of programs which support children with written output and/or written expression difficulties using multi-sensory techniques to enhance learning.
Handwriting Without Tears© a proven successful program in making legible and fluent handwriting an easy and automatic skill for all students. Handwriting Without Tears uses fun, entertaining, and educationally sound instructional methods to teach handwriting to all students from pre-k through cursive.
The Handwriting Without Tears curriculum draws from years of innovation and research to provide developmentally appropriate, multisensory tools and strategies for your classroom. The program follows research that demonstrates children learn more effectively by actively doing, with materials that address all styles of learning.
The Handwriting Without Tears program teaches a simple, clean, vertical style of printing and cursive that is easiest for children.
For more information, please visit www.hwtears.com.
Source: Handwriting Without Tears
Multi-Sensory Typing
The Diana King Method for Teaching Touch-Typing
This method replied on teaching an alphabetic sequence with simultaneous oral spelling. (S.O.S.) The whole alphabet can be mastered in forty minutes, but must be followed by daily periods of practice to develop speed and accuracy.
Source: http://www.ed.sc.edu/caw/keyboard.html
Read-Type-To-Learn
Program teaches the children to hear the individual sounds in words and associate each sound with a letter and a finger stroke on the keyboard. This multi-sensory and motor approach helps children with different learning practice keystrokes and phonemic awareness simultaneously. For more information, please visit www.talkingfingers.com.
Study Skills
Direct, systematic instruction in organization of school subject material and studying techniques based on the students individual needs. Organizational skills are automatic and easy for some people; however, this is usually not the case with those who have learning differences or those with ADHD. The goal of the Shelton System for Organization and Study Skills is to foster independence, self-control, and success in each individual.
Source: Shelton School in Dallas http://www.shelton.org/