Lower Level Content Skills of the Writing Process

The first steps in writing are called lower level content skills.  At this stage of the writing, the student needs to attend to the task and come up with an idea for his or her sentence.  This requires the student have knowledge of language and vocabulary and prior experience and be able to recall all of these.  Then, the student must plan his or her idea in an understandable sequence, all while recalling grammar and using active memory.  Throughout this process the student must continue to maintain attention to the task.

Here are some assistive tech.s aids that may help those who struggle with this part of the process:

Some Low Tech Aids for:

Attention to task (both to initiate and throughout)

• Planned breaks
• Steps of task broken down
• limit to a few the choices of topic/style
• provide ear plugs, ear buds or headphones to block out noise

Have vocabulary

• Picture Dictionary or other labeled visual aid about topic so student can look up new words

Recall Vocabulary

• Word lists on a topic or picture dictionary or other labeled visual aid about topic to help student jog memory of words he/she knows

Mentally plan and represent ideas in sequence

• Variety of hard copy graphic organizers

Some Mid. Tech Aids for:

Attention to task (both to initiate and throughout)

  

• Website: Kerpoof has created a free story creator that provides prompts to students as they generate text and ideas. It limits students to 6 themes: fantasy, winter tales, inventors, aliens, rock party, and pirates. For many students, limiting choice can assist task completion.

• Website Scholastic: Story Starters for Grades 1-4  is a bank of writing prompts. Student spins the lever to get a writing prompt. To allow for even greater creativity, the student can spin wheels to change any part of the prompt.

• Website  http://www.storyjumper.com/ Prompts and pictures for stories.  Topics that would be very appealing to kids.

Active Working memory

• Tape recorder to record ideas, storylines as student thinks of them

Mentally plan and represent ideas in sequence

Free graphic organizers on the web like:

• us bubbl at http://www.bubbl.us/
• Read Write Think Webbing Tool at http://interactives.mped.org/view_interactive.aspx?id=127&title
• IHMC CmapTools at http://cmap.ihmc.us/
• Mind42.com at http://mind42.com/

Some High Tech Aids for:

Attention to task (both to initiate and throughout)

• Sound curtain app - intelligent, self adjusting acoustic masking

• Do this next app – You enter in a prioritized list of things to do and the app gives them to you one at a time.  When you enter that it is done it gives a satisfying done sound/gesture and puts up the next thing to do.

Recall prior knowledge and experience

• Pictello App or Book Creator App for ipad: Use pictures to prompt writing

Recall knowledge of language

• Ghotit- Online contextual spell checker and grammar checker service, especially designed for dyslexics, great reviews, but pricey at 15$/month or 130 for lifetime use.
• Grammarly- Online Grammar Checker, instant reports with no log-in necessary. Again, great reviews, but11$/month

Here is a demo of what Ghotit can do for you:

Have and Recall Vocabulary

• Dictionary App by Xyster.net ($1.99) for iPhone/iPod and iPad provides 150,000 entries with links and illustrations. Dictionary does not provide a voice search, but does provide pronunciation of the word and bookmarks for frequently used words.

Mentally plan and represent ideas in sequence

·       Software graphic organizers to help organize the information into appropriate categories and order. Examples would be Inspiration, Kidspiration, Draftbuilder.

Here is a demo of how to start writing after you made some initial notes in Draftbuilder: