By PresenterMedia.com
Solving The
Mystery
From Reluctant Writer to Masterful Author: Pedagogy That Supports the Gifted Child's Early Writing Development
Michelle Bence
PowerPoint available in PDF format at
www.lovingliteracy.ca
Putting the Pieces Together…A room full of disengaged, unsuccessful children with advanced linguistic and cognitive abilities
Children experiencing frustration, inadequacy, anxiety, despair and ultimately avoidance behaviours
A separation of the incidental from the critical
The 5 pronged approach to effective writing
Engaged, persistent, joyful writers
The Crime Scene
An examination of students’ writing unearths questions leading to an investigation
Precipitating Event
The Prologue
The Theory
The Suspects
The Evidence
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
Our Setting & Characters…
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• Congregated gifted setting (K-12)
• All students completed an intake process identifying them as gifted
• Very little attrition
• Program focusses on problem based learning
A gifted charter school in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
The Red Herring
• The gifted do not need direct, explicit instruction
• Gifted children will “just pick up” literacy skills
• Gifted children do not struggle with lower level skills
Our school believed…
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
The Crime Scene
From Inspiration to Defeat!
so the investigation began…
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
Our Students Writing Looked Like…
Laborious printing Few high frequency words & lack of spelling strategies
“I have all the words but I can’t get them down!”
They told us…
An inability to move their ideas to the page
Overexcitabilities – A Triple Whammy?Imaginational OE Impacts… Intellectual OE Impacts… Emotional OE Impacts…
Where do I start?
I don’t know what to focus
on.
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
I am getting further behind, I’ll never finish.
I hate this! I can’t do it, I am
an awful person!
“Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth.”
Sherlock Holmes, The Sign of Four
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Did They Have the Vocabulary?
Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test (EOWPVT) Results.
Grade 2 & 3 Students Placement on EOWPVT
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An Aha Moment…
Those over-excitabilities (the reluctance to write) may be a symptom or outcome rather than a cause of under achievement with literacy tasks.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to write
but maybe that they couldn’t write!
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
Examining Cognitive and Linguistic Resources
The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog
• Involves cognitive, linguistic and neuro-motor activity
• Numerous constraints on working memory
• Working memory scarce in young children
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
“Having gathered these facts, Watson, I smoked several pipes over them, trying to separate those which were crucial from others which were merely incidental”
Sherlock Holmes
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So What Was The Problem?
Our Theory…
We surmised that lack of control over foundational skills such as printing and spelling might be the underlying cause of the writing struggles that we observed.
They lacked the skills
that they needed to write!
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
We Looked for Ways to…
Record Ideas Faster
Fewer Interruptions
When Writing
Usetheir
vocabulary
Help select ideas Organize
ideas
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
The Suspects
Flow Automaticity Mobilization
Activation Connection
Printing? Spelling? Vocabulary?
Pre-
writing?
Text
Structure?
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
Suspect # 1: PrintingResearch Shows
• Handwriting automaticity – strong predictor of composition quality
(Medwell & Wray, 2014)
• Handwriting automaticity significantly frees up working memory
(McCarney et al., 2013)
Flow
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
So we began teaching printing with direct, explicit printing instruction for 40 consecutive school days for 20 minutes a day
PRINTING BEFORE PILOT PRINTING AFTER PILOT
The Evidence
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Suspect # 2: Spelling
Research Shows… • Gifted students can be poor spellers
(Berninger et al., 1992)
• Word study instruction increases risk taking
(Williams, 2007)
• Sight word knowledge frees up memory
• Better word choice
• More sophisticated ideas
Automaticity
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
We focused on word study with identification of spelling patterns within the child’s level.
Spelling
A highly differentiated program focusing on word patterns works for the gifted.
Evidence 2 years hence…
Emergent /
EarlyMiddle Late Early Middle Late Early Middle Late Early Late
Consonants Short
Vowels
Digraphs Blends Common
Long
Vowels
Other
Vowels
Inflected Endings Syl lable Junctures Unaccented Final
Syl lables
Harder
Suffixes
Bases or
Roots
GRADE THREE GRADE FOUR GRADE FIVE
2 (Grade Equivalent Progess)
2.2 (Grade Equivalent Progess)
1.63
2.92
1.50
2.97
Starting Point
Starting Point
KINDERGARTEN GRADE ONE GRADE TWO GRADE SIX +
Words Their Way - Stages of SpellingLetter Name – Alphabetic Within Word Pattern Syllables & Affixes Derivational
CONTROL GROUP
WTW INSTRUCTION GROUP
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
BEFORE WORDS THEIR WAY AFTER WORDS THEIR WAY
The Evidence - Transference
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
Suspect # 3: Vocabulary
Research shows… Explicit vocabulary instruction teaches students…
• Words connect ideas
• Complex sentence structure(Applebee et al., 2003)
Linking specific vocabulary helps organize thoughts
(Gibbons, 2009)
Mobilization
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
We explicitly taught graded academic word lists and transition words associated with specific writing genres
SEA OF BLUE RAINBOW OF COLOUR
The Evidence - Lex Tutor Profile of Vocabulary Usage
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
Suspect # 4: Pre-Writing
Research Shows• Most 7-8 year olds are concrete
thinkers
• Pictures help scaffold
• organize ideas
• attach words
• Move thoughts to print
(Colello, 2014)
Activation
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
Students created elaborative, detailed, coloured pictures highly specific to each task BEFORE writing
The Evidence - Elaborate, Detailed, Pictures
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
Suspect # 5: Text StructureResearch shows
Explicit teaching of text structure…
• Helps to select main ideas & details
• Reduces cognitive load
(Jones, et al., 1989)
• Significantly improves students’ expository writing
(Raphael, et al., 1986)
Connection
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
We used direct, explicit instruction with text structure through modelling, annotation, and paragraph frames
Text Structure Suspense
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
PRE-WRITING PICTURE NARRATIVE STORY
The Evidence - Putting it all together…
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“There is nothing new under the sun. It has all been done before.”
Sherlock Holmes, A Study in Scarlet
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Epilogue
“I have been blind as a mole, but it is better to learn wisdom late than never to learn it at all.”
-Sherlock Holmes, The Man With The Twisted Lip
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
What we know for sure…
Flow Automaticity
Activation
Mobilization
Connection
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
Calming Those OverExcitabilities …gives us engaged, autonomous, confident writers!
I know how to get my thoughts out of my head
I have some great ideas
I love this! I am an amazing
writer!
Others really like my ideas
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
Questions?
Contacts• Michelle Bence – [email protected]
PowerPoint available in PDF format at www.lovingliteracy.ca
Picture credits: Audfriday13 Dreamstime.com & Colourbox.com &
Special thanks to our amazing mentor and fearless leader, Dr. H. Roessingh.
“A visionary leader doesn’t look at what is, rather she looks at what could be!”.
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
Programs Modified & Implemented
Created by Bence, Gillespie Noble & Ramzy, 2016)
Printing – Handwriting Without Tears: Printing Power for 20 minutes a day for 40 consecutive teaching days
https://www.lwtears.com/
Spelling – Words Their Way: Differentiated for individual student spelling levels. Run for 5 months, January through May.
Bear, D. R. (1996). Words their way: Word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction. Merrill, Order
Processing, PO Box 11071, Des Moines, IA 50336-1071.
Vocabulary – Explicit instruction of graded academic work lists & transition words with corresponding text structure
Johnson, E. R. (2009). Academic Language! Academic Literacy!: A Guide for K–12 Educators. Corwin Press.
Text Structure – Modified Barbara Mariconda’s Empowering Writers Program
Mariconda, B. (2004). The Comprehensive Narrative Writing Guide: All the Skills You Need to Teach Good Writing: Grades
2-7. Empowering Writers.
Online Vocabulary Profiler - http://www.lextutor.ca/vp/kids/
Selected ReferencesAckerman, C. M. (1997). Identifying gifted adolescents using personality characteristics: Dabrowski’ over-excitabilities. Roeper Review, 19 (4), 229-236.
Bear, D., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F., (2009). Words Their Way. Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary and Spelling Instruction (2nd ed.) Upper SaddleRiver, NJ. Prentice Hall
Berninger, V., & Yates, C. (1993). Formal operational thought in the gifted: A post-Piagetian perspective. Roeper Review, 15, 220-224.
Collelo, S. (2001). The role of drawing in children’s writing. Study presented at II Seminário sobre Letramento e Alfabetização of the 13th COLE – Congresso de Leitura do Brasil, in Campinas (SP), July 2001. Translated by “English for You”. Jones, B., Pierce, J., & Hunter, B. (1988). Teaching students to construct graphic representations. Educational Leadership, 6, 20-25.
Gibbons, P. (2009). English Learners, Academic Literacy, and Thinking: Learning in the Challenge Zone. Portsmouth, NH : Heinemann
Gibson, S. (2008). An effective framework for primary-grade guided writing instruction. The Reading Teacher. 62, (4). 324 – 334.
McCarney, D., Peters, L., Jackson, S., Thomas, M. & Kirby, A. (2013). Does Poor Handwriting Conceal Literacy Potential in Primary School Children? International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 2013 Vol. 60, No. 2, 105–118.
Mendaglio, S., & Tillier, W. (2006). Dabrowski's theory of positive disintegration and giftedness: Over-excitability research findings. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 30(1; 1), 68-87.
Medwell, J., Strand, & Wray (2007). The role of handwriting in composing for Y2 children. Journal of Reading, Writing and Literacy, 2 (1), 11-21.
McCutchen D. (2011). From novice to expert: Implications of language skills and writing-relevant knowledge for memory during the development of writing skill. Journal of Writing Research, 3 (1), 51–68.
Piechowski, M.,& Colangelo, N. (1984). Developmental potential of the gifted. Gifted Child Quarterly, 28, 80- 88.
Raphael, T., Englert, C., & Kirschner, B., (1986). The impact of text structure instruction and social context on students’ comprehension and production of expository text. The Institute for Research on Teaching, Research Series No. 177.
Roberts, G., Derkach-Ferguson, A., Siever, J. & Rose, M. (2014). An examination of the effectiveness of Handwriting Without Tears® instruction. Journal of Occupational Therapy, 81 (2), 102-113.
Roessingh, H. (2013). A look at Grade 2 Writing: Successes and challenges in early literacy development.
Learning Landscapes, 7 (1), 269-281.
Williams, Cheri; Lundstrom, Ruth P.(2007). Strategy instruction during word study and interactive writing activities: word study and interactive writing instruction can support young children’s spelling growth and their early writing development. The Reading Teacher. 61, (3), 204.
Yates, C., Berninger, V. & Abbott, R. (1995). Specific writing disabilities in intellectually gifted children. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 18 (2), 131-156.
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