Cheryl Swope's Blog, page 13
October 27, 2016
Special Needs Writing: Sentences, Paragraphs, Essays
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I received a request for tips on teaching essay writing with the special-needs child. The method I present here proved satisfactory for my own special-needs twins in the early stages of their writing. For them, ideas flowed easily but organization did not. This simple outline provided a foundation that assisted their writing, thinking, and speaking. I hope this is helpful. Please find this below.*
But first, if your student cannot yet write a sentence, begin with Simply Classical Writing: Step-by-Step Sentences in either the Bible edition or Read-Aloud edition. Book Two provides more composition practice. See Special Needs Writing and Penmanship for more resources.
When the student can write a simple sentence, consider this easy premise: A good essay is built upon a good paragraph, and a good paragraph is built upon a good sentence.
For my twins with specific learning disabilities, we first created a basic outline for the paragraph. Then we eventually developed this into the 5-paragraph essay. Keep the topic simple, until the outline is automatic. (Form first for now, substance second. Then, when you have both, you have a good writer!)
Paragraph
In a basic expository paragraph, the student writes an introductory or topic sentence. She offers two or three supporting points. She closes with a concluding sentence.
Before she ever begins writing a paragraph, she will likely benefit from a blank outline on paper or on the board:
I. A Topic Sentence
__________________________________________________ _________
II. Point 1 Sentence
__________________________________________________ _________
III. Point 2 Sentence
__________________________________________________ _________
IV. Point 3 Sentence
__________________________________________________ _________
V. Conclusion (with a little extra, so as not to merely repeat the topic sentence)
__________________________________________________ _________
A student can create individual sentences in order on the outline, or she can begin with a simple topic & her three points. [In other words, if she has already chosen her topic, she can formalize the topic sentence and conclusion after determining her three points.] When all 5 (or so) sentences are grammatically correct and punctuated accurately, have her place them in a paragraph with her best cursive.
My favorite colors are the cool colors. I enjoy blue because it is the color of the sky and calms me. Green cheers me on gloomy days. Shades of purple make me feel creative. In contrast, red, orange, and yellow make me feel too energetic and hectic. A quick look in my closet will show anyone that cool, soothing colors are my favorite!
The Essay
Topic Sentence becomes an entire introductory paragraph
Point 1 becomes the first paragraph of the Body
Point 2 becomes the second paragraph of the Body
Point 3 becomes the third paragraph of the Body
Concluding Sentence becomes the concluding paragraph
All is expanded. Each paragraph will have its own topic sentence with supporting sentences and conclusion. New outline (create lines for each sentence within the outline):
I. Introductory Paragraph
A. Topic Sentence
B. Point 1
C. Point 2
D. Point 3
E. Conclusion
II. Point 1
A. Introduce the point as a topic sentence
B. Support for point 1
C. More Support for point 1
D. (opt more support for point 1)
E. Concluding sentence
III. Point 2
A. Introduce the point as a topic sentence
B. Support for point 2
C. More support for point 2
D. (opt more support for point 2)
E. Concluding sentence
IV. Point 3
A. Introduce the point as a topic sentence
B. Support for point 3
C. More support for point 3
D. (opt more support for point 3)
E. Concluding sentence
V. Conclusion
A. Topic sentence
B. Reiteration or summary in 1-2 sentences
C. Mention of alternatives
D. Concluding sentence
Sample
See a sample of a simple yet nicely organized essay below.
My Favorite Colors
My favorite colors are the cool colors. Blue is my favorite color. Green is my next favorite. I like purple too. I prefer the cool colors for many reasons.
My favorite color has always been blue. Even when I was very young, I chose blue playdough and blue crayons. I enjoy blue, because it is the color of the sky and calms me. If I could have my room painted any color, it would be blue.
Green is my next favorite color. I love to walk in the woods. I like the green grass in our backyard. The color green cheers me on gloomy days, just like nature does.
Ever since I became a teenager, I have enjoyed purple. Shades of purple make me feel creative. I like all shades of purple. I would like a soft lavender throw pillow on my bed.
My favorite colors have always been the cool colors. In contrast, red, orange and yellow make me feel too energetic and hectic. A quick look in my closet will show anyone that cool, calming colors are the colors for me!
One Note
Additional topics for this simple outline include favorite movies, board games, friends, outings, or subjects in school. In this way, you can teach the format with ideas that are familiar and accessible.
After this basic format is mastered, the special-needs child can be assisted to create essays in a more classical manner to analyze poetry or novels. Exposition and refutation of opposing arguments can be added within an argumentative essay on political or philosophical ideas. With progymnasmata exercises in Classical Composition, www.memoriapress.com and with strategies available through www.iew.com, a child can become an even stronger writer.
MORE – Quick tips for teaching writing with the special-needs child.
Explain that Writing is a Process with Several Steps
With the rigid or easily frustrated child, be sure to explain ahead of time that the writing will not be complete the first time but is just a draft. This draft will receive editing for grammar, content, and style. If needed, create a visual timeline. Example: Day One – topic sentence and 3 points. Days Two & Three – writing, editing, and rewriting each sentence. Day Four – concluding sentence. Day Five – recopying the entire paragraph in beautiful handwriting for a writing notebook, possibly with an illustration.
Explain that Every Sentence Must Support the Topic
Create a silly paragraph before writing or before editing. Have the student identify non-supporting sentences. She can raise her hand if the paragraph is read orally or cross out the sentences if written on paper or on the board.
My Favorite Colors
My favorite colors are the cool colors. Blue is my favorite color. Elephants are noisy at the zoo. Green is another favorite color. We had oatmeal for breakfast….
Explain that Formal Language is Expected
If your children are like mine, they will need to be taught that overly casual, conversational, or empty language cannot be deemed a point or a conclusion. For example, “And that’s all I have to say!” is not a concluding sentence. 
To submit questions for me or for other moms of special-needs children, please join us on the Struggling Student Forum at SimplyClassical.com.
Cheryl
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Teaching Place Value with Special Needs
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Teaching place value can be difficult with students who struggle with the effects of dyscalculia, intellectual disability or other challenges. One mother writes regarding her adopted children who suffer from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and resulting “Place Value Woes.”
Q: How can I teach place value? A: Here are some tips.
1. Cups & Straws
You can use three cups to represent 1′s, 10′s, and 100. Create “23″ from 2 straws in the 10′s cup and 3 straws in the 1′s cup. Practice representing quantities each day with numbers from the lessons. Demonstrate. Then let the student show the numbers.
2. Pocket Chart
Using a similar principle, you can create or purchase a pocket chart like these.
3. Base Ten Blocks
My daughter struggled with place value for a long time, until we “created” each number with Base Ten Blocks. Begin by having the students create two-digit and three-digit numbers with the blocks. Instruct them to “make” the number from the fewest blocks possible. For example, the student with 2 tens & 3 ones wins over the student with 23 ones. Show how 10 ones can be traded for 1 ten.
If you purchase enough of each (1′s, 10′s, 100′s) for regrouping, you can practice adding and subtracting with these blocks.
4. Pennies, Dimes, Dollars
You can also teach place value with pennies, dimes, and dollars. Create index card “signs” to indicate 1, 10, 100. Obtain rolls of pennies and dimes, along with stacks of one dollar bills. Create 23 cents with the fewest number of coins. Repeat with different amounts of money. Have them try with pennies, then dimes. When they understand these, you can explain that one dollar is the same as one hundred pennies.
Find something inexpensive for them to purchase at the store (or role play at home). You could play “Bank Teller” or “Store Keeper” and exchange pennies for dimes, dimes for dollars.
5. Monopoly
Another idea – play Monopoly with the student as Banker for the 1′s, 10′s and 100′s. Someone else can be in charge of the other denominations. He will need to exchange 10 1′s for a 10 and 10 10′s for 100.
6. Daily Demonstrations
Whether you use straws or blocks, you will want to demonstrate two-digit and three-digit numbers every day. Then have each student create two or three numbers, one at a time, from the manipulatives. As they “see” the place value in action, they might begin to internalize the concept.
7. Games
You may have done much of the above already. If so, you might try turning more of these activities into group games, timed races, or personal contests. For example, “How quickly can you form this number from straws?” Chart the time in seconds or minutes. Note improvement over the next few months.
8. Books
Find books like the Place Value selection in this read-aloud set.
9. Overlearning
The best arithmetic program we have found for special-needs mastery is Rod & Staff Arithmetic. We include multi-sensory activities in our lesson plans for each level to ensure sufficient practice and understanding.
Long-term
We may need to keep teaching, showing, reteaching, and practicing “place value” long after the math lessons assume place value is known. But all of the hard work will reap benefits, especially if you can help them understand before they reach two-digit multiplication!
Choose one or more of the above. Keep teaching and reviewing in small, visual or multi-sensory lessons each day.
If you would like to have such activities pre-correlated with lessons, we offer year-round, content-oriented, multi-sensory activities throughout our Simply Classical lesson plans designed to reinforce skills and concepts covered in every R&S Arithmetic Level.
Cheryl
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Rod and Staff Arithmetic with an Auditory NLVD Learner who Lacks
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Q: My 13.5 daughter has a strong Non-Verbal Learning Disability. She does not process information well visual/spatially. She has a strength in learning auditorily and is very high in verbal comprehension. There is a more than 70 percentile point spread in Verbal Comp and Visual Spatial in testing. She has fine motor delays that make doing a lot of writing difficult.
…our thought for her was to work sideways slightly below her level to help reinforce those facts though we recognize she may never get them…
…looking at Rod & Staff Math samples I see a lot of flash cards and I see a lot of problems per page and I “see” a huge melt down…flash cards just would be banging our heads on the wall… I just can not tell from the samples if it would be usable/functional with out a strongly visual kids so any input anyone has would be great.
A: Yes, you can teach R&S Math with an auditory learner! (No need to use the flash cards.) Teach the lessons aurally.
R&S Arithmetic provides a solid foundation in math facts with step-by-step concept building. Then use any or all of these techniques and supplements:
1. Sing or chant math facts, possibly while bounce-passing a ball with each fact. (This also works on coordination – needed for some students with NVLD!) Obtain music CD’s with math facts or create your own songs. Have her listen & sing these daily until mastered.
2. Create and discuss word problems to accompany number problems. Rather than looking at the book together, maintain eye contact with her as you teach. Make math lessons more conversational than visual. Example, 6 divided by 2: “If you and a friend had a chocolate bar with six squares, how many squares would each of you receive?”
3. Reduce any visually overwhelming pages by covering a portion with a half-size piece of cardstock. Tuck this in the book as a bookmark. Use daily.
4. Set a standard of writing for each page. You may allow her to write directly into the book. As soon as she writes 5 (or 10) correct answers, she may answer all remaining answers orally. [This approach works well for my children not only in math, but also in Latin.]
5. Enjoy her higher level of verbal comprehension by integrating “living math” books into her math program. Read these books aloud, such as the Sir Cumference series, Mathematicians are People, Too, and others suggested in your Simply Classical book lists. We incorporate these into our Simply Classical R&S Arithmetic lessons.
6. Work on the visual elements. Even as you make accommodations for her auditory strengths, you can give her some successful strategies to work on visual math tasks. For example, create easy-to-complete pages of select math facts with large boxes for answers. Each day, she might complete one page toward earning an incentive.
7. Use Recitations. We include Arithmetic recitations for memory, mastery, and a general fund of knowledge. Select only the Arithmetic portions, if desired. These include rote counting, skip counting, facts about time, money, and measurement (how many seconds in a minute, how many feet in a mile), and more. You can use our recitations, or create your own. This provides aural/oral practice with no visual attention required. Find these under Opening Recitation or Recitation Lesson Plans.
To read the full Q&A in context, continue reading on the Memoria Press Struggling Student Forum.
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The Classical Approach to Math: Why We Insist on Arithmetic First
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The Classical Teacher readership is approximately 100,000 readers. In one edition, my favorite article was one of the shortest, “Why Johnny Can’t Add.” Martin Cothran begins with this: “My father was an aerospace engineer.” in his brief article, Martin makes a compelling case for everything that so-called progressive educators despise, especially the pedagogical precept of beginning at the beginning.
To find out why we insist on arithmetic first, even with children who have special learning needs, access and read the full free article on pages 58-61.
If you do not yet subscribe to this free magalog (magazine/catalog), enter your information in the fields to receive four free copies every year.
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