Writing Strategies for Diverse Learners by Brandee Green

Talk as You Draw

2025-03-04 14:20:52 UTC

During my one-on-one conference with student A, I would encourage her to use strategy 1.1: Talk as You Draw. Because student A has not yet mastered letter sounds, she would be unable to produce structured sentences. For this reason, her writing should be heavily dependent on transferring her knowledge onto paper using drawings.

To connect this assignment to life cycles, I would ask student I to illustrate the life cycle of the tadpole. This part can be altered based on time limits and/or student ability. For example, she could either illustrate the entire life cycle or just one part of it. She would talk to me as she illustrated the picture.

To measure growth, I would work towards asking student A to label the parts of the pictures that she draws. These labels can increase in difficulty as she shows growth. For example, when labeling the sun in her picture, she could just write “s” to symbolize the sound that she hears when she says the word sun. This would help student A to work towards mastering her letter sounds and identifying those sounds in words. Eventually, student A would be able to identify more than just the “s” sound and expand to writing the full word “sun.”

Talk Around the Idea, Then Write

2025-03-04 20:16:47 UTC

To begin our work on the lifecycle writing project, I will open a conversation with student A. I will give her prompts such as "what are you wondering about this?" and "what is important about this?" These are open ended questions that promote deep thinking. This strategy is helpful for any student, but it is particularly helpful for student A, since English is her second language. Because she is most likely more comfortable speaking in English than writing in English, this strategy will help her to begin her thought process and develop strong points to write about. Even though this intervention is only ten minutes long, I will designate a few minutes to this conversation, since I believe it is a pivotal part in helping student A develop oral language skills and listening skills. When we have established a solid foundation, I will then ask student A to draw a picture representing each stage. I will refer to our previous conversation if she is struggling to remember a detail she discussed earlier. After the four stages are drawn, I will give her four small pieces of paper with the correct labels written on them. I will ask student A to listen to the sounds she hears in the words and make matches to the print. Lastly, I will have her write the words herself, referencing my examples if necessary.

2025-03-04 22:36:56 UTC

I could solve this by tapping into Student A's love for the tadpoles in our classroom. First, I would sit down with her and start a conversation about what she's noticed about the tadpoles. This would get her excited and engaged. Then, I'd suggest we write a sentence together, like "The tadpoles are growing." I'd write the first part and encourage her to write a word or two. As we write, I'd help her sound out the letters and words, making it a fun and supportive experience. I'd celebrate her efforts, no matter how small, and we'd read the sentence together at the end. This approach would help her with her writing skills and make the learning process enjoyable and connected to something she cares about.

1.2 Point Around the Pictures

2025-03-07 02:54:15 UTC

I would start the conference by talking with her about the life cycle of a tadpole. I will ask her what she knows about the cycle and will quickly go over the life cycle. Then I will ask her to draw the life cycle in 3 minutes. Once she is finished drawing, I will ask her about each part of the life cycle, pointing at her pictures. Once she tells me what she drew in what order, I will then get her to write her sentence based on what she told me, with my guidance of course. The purpose of this strategy is so she can look at what she drew and explain it with correct sentence structure. I will encourage her to use her storytelling vocabulary like first, second, and third. I understand that she struggles with her reading and spelling, but if she can hear and understand the correct language when she points at her cycle, I think it would help her understand writing and the writing processes better.

1.1 Talk (as you draw)

2025-03-08 05:56:29 UTC

During my one-on-one conference with Student A, I would implement the "Pictures Teach, Words Teach" strategy, which encourages students to verbalize their thoughts while drawing. This approach allows them to hear their own words, reinforcing language development and writing skills. To connect this strategy to Student A’s interest in tadpoles, I would have her illustrate the life cycle of a tadpole, progressing through each stage while verbally describing what she is drawing. As she gains confidence, I would prompt her to point to specific parts of her illustration and explain their significance, fostering both oral language skills and comprehension. Additionally, I would gradually guide her toward labeling key components of her drawing to further develop her literacy skills.

1.13 - A Series of Pictures to Show Change

2025-03-08 13:39:33 UTC

For my writing conference with Student A, I would use Strategy 1.13: A Series of Pictures to Show Change. I would begin by reviewing with Student A how a tadpole changes throughout its life cycle, engaging her in an oral discussion to reinforce her understanding. Next, I would have her draw a sequence of pictures showing the different stages of a tadpole’s transformation. I would guide her to focus on key features, such as the growth of legs, to help her visualize and comprehend the changes. Before writing, I would ask her to read her pictures by describing what is happening in each stage. This verbal practice would help her organize her thoughts and reduce the pressure of writing by using illustrations as a guide. Instead of writing full sentences, I would support her in labeling the key parts of each drawing, such as “egg, “legs,” and “frog.” I would guide her in stretching out the sounds in each word and writing the letters she hears, using phonics and visual supports as needed. I would also praise her efforts in hearing and recording sounds, even if her spelling is not perfect. This strategy will help Student A develop phonemic awareness and build confidence in writing by breaking words into manageable parts. By starting with single words instead of full sentences, writing becomes more accessible while reinforcing phonics skills in a meaningful and engaging way.

Stephanie Kelly

2025-03-08 16:53:44 UTC

Steps to Implement the "Point Around the Picture" Strategy

Encourage Detailed Drawings

-Before writing, prompt the child to create a detailed drawing about their story or experience. Encourage them to include characters, actions, and background details.

-For example, if they’re drawing the tadpoles, they might include the environment around which they live in, the tank, the water, the rocks, how many tadpoles they see, what the tadpoles are doing, ect.

Guide the Child to Point and Describe

-Ask the child to point to different parts of their drawing and describe what’s happening. Use simple prompts like:

- "Tell me about this part."

- "What’s happening here?"

- "I see your picture is teaching something. Tell me all about it."

- "What are they doing?"

-This verbal storytelling helps them organize their thoughts and prepares them to translate those ideas into words.

Model Writing the Descriptions

-As the child describes each part of the picture, model how to write a simple sentence.

-Encourage the child to contribute by attempting letters, words, or sounds they know.

Support Writing Independence

-Once they’re comfortable, encourage them to write some of the sentences independently. They can begin by labeling parts of their drawing and gradually build toward writing full sentences.

Celebrate and Expand

-Celebrate their efforts by reading their writing together. Ask, "Is there anything else you want to add?" to encourage more detail or additional sentences.

Use the Room

2025-03-08 17:53:55 UTC

I chose the "Use the Room" writing strategy because I believe it would help Student A become more confident and independent in their writing abilities. Firstly, this approach allows the student to take a momentary break from writing to gather their thoughts, which often enables them to find a solution quickly and independently. This process can build their confidence and overall understanding of writing, enhancing their writing skills. I plan to display numerous helpful charts and strategies around my classroom, in addition to a word wall. All of these resources could assist a struggling writer with the English language and with the challenges of a reading disability. In our writing conference, I would guide the students' attention around the room to various writing and science resources they could utilize while working on their assignment. I would ask questions such as, "What’s causing you to get stuck?" and "In what step of the process are you working, and what chart might help?"

Talk and Draw

2025-03-09 01:52:45 UTC

For Student A, I would implement the talk and draw strategy. Since Student A is an English Language Learner, using pictures to teach them could be very beneficial. Student A has taken a particular liking to the tadpoles in our classroom! Tadpoles have a very interesting life cycle that can be taught to even very young children; so, I will use Student A’s interest in the tadpoles to teach them about life cycles. First, I will talk to the student about the tadpoles; I will ask why tadpoles are so interesting, what the student has noticed about them, and what all they know about tadpoles in general. Then I will ask the student to draw a picture of what they just explained to me and I will encourage them to explain their picture. While explaining their picture, I will observe like a student and ask questions, and I will hold off on corrections for later. Once they explain their picture, I will teach them about the life cycle of tadpoles, using pictures and maybe even a video to help me illustrate. Once I feel that Student A has a strong understanding of the life cycle, I will ask them to draw another picture. This time, I will use thick/decorative/special paper and explain that this time they draw the life cycle it will be displayed in our classroom or in the hall. By making the student feel special and competent, you are encouraging them to do well. Since I will be asking the student to draw a similar picture twice, that student having some sort of incentive can be beneficial to the quality of their work.

Write Alouds

2025-03-09 03:54:31 UTC

To support Student A, who has been diagnosed with a reading disability and is also learning English as a second language, I would choose the "Write Alouds" strategy from The Writing Strategies Book. This strategy would help address both her language challenges and her writing development. During our one-on-one conference, I would model the writing process by thinking aloud as I write. Since Student A has shown interest in the life cycle of a tadpole, I would use this topic to engage her. For example, I might start by writing the word “tadpole” and explain the sounds I hear as I write each letter. I’d encourage her to say the sounds with me and help her recognize letter-sound connections, which is especially important given her reading disability. In addition, I would incorporate visual supports, like pictures of tadpoles, to help her make connections between the words and the topic she's interested in. I’d model how to form simple sentences about the life cycle, such as “The tadpole grows into a frog” and encourage her to try writing similar sentences, offering support where needed. This approach allows me to focus on Student A’s writing abilities and language development, not just the content. It helps scaffold her writing process, making it accessible and interactive, while building her confidence in both writing and English. Through this strategy, I can provide the necessary support to move her forward in her writing, while also respecting her interest in the life cycle of a tadpole.