Sample Written Expression
Lesson for Dusty Rhodes
Component
Interference
Intervention
Oral Language
• Phonological awareness
•Auditory Processing
•Verbal Memory
•Expressive Language
(sequenced narrative)
Valerie Vowel lesson will increase
awareness of purpose of vowels in
writing while pairing auditory
information with strong visual
support in a narrative format.
Executive
Function
•Focus
•Sustained attention
•Difficulty monitoring
spelling errors
•Difficulty using strategies
The use of puppets is a
multisensory approach coupled
with a simple rubric to enhance
self-monitoring of a spelling
strategy.
•Difficulty with all aspects
of handwriting
•Difficulty with translating
phonemes to graphemes
Discriminating correctly spelled
words; copying words with correct
pencil grasp, body posture, and
paper position.
Basic
Writing
Skills
Dr. Terri Zerfas 2014
Sample Written Expression
Lesson for Wendy Day
Motivation:
Use of
Wendy’s art
Component
Interference
Oral Language
•Articulation
•Auditory Processing
•Language comprehension
(inferences, predicting,
drawing conclusions)
The use of language frames for
argumentation will be developed in
classroom and used for
articulation/language practice with the
speech therapist. The school counselor can
also use this format to assist Wendy with
asking questions with peers.
Executive
Function
•Working memory
(remembering directions
and content)
•Self-regulation (planning,
monitoring, adjusting)
The use of language frames as a
graphic organizer will enhance
Wendy’s ability to remember the
content and provide a structured
system for self-regulation of her
writing.
•Slow rate of writing
•Difficulty understanding
morphological rules for
spelling
•Difficulty withDr.syntax
Terri Zerfas 2014
The “fill-in-the-blank” format will serve as an
accommodation for Wendy’s slow rate of
writing. The use of suffix –ed in the frame
will provide practice in morphological
awareness. The frame models appropriate
syntactical structure.
Basic
Writing
Skills
Intervention
Sample Written Expression
Lesson for Jack Hammer
Component
Oral Language
Executive
Function
Basic
Writing
Skills
Interference
Motivation:
Jack’s interest in
math and
entrepreneurship.
Intervention
•Processing oral directions The use of the questionnaire
•Requests for repetition
reduced the need to rely solely on
and/or clarification does
auditory information.
not improve performance
•Processing speed
significantly discrepant from
cognitive ability
•Working memory issues
result in mental fatigue
•Distracted when writing
•Poor cognitive flexibility
when editing
The use of a brainstorming questionnaire
helped Jack maintain focus on the topic and
relieved the working memory fatigue.
Highlighting Jack’s strengths in math and his
interest in entrepreneurship reduced
distraction. The use of a rubric for the
brochure enhanced his editing performance.
•Poor writing fluency
•Difficulty with spelling
(orthographic and
morphologic rule application)
•Difficulty with syntactic
structure and mechanics
The use of the language frame and
technology bypassed writing fluency issues,
as well as difficulty with spelling, mechanics,
and syntactic structure. These areas of
weakness will be addressed during the
writing process when Jack writes a summary
of the brochure project. Brochure is an
alternate assignment.
Dr. Terri Zerfas 2014
Sample Written Expression
Lesson for Justin Case
Component
Oral Language
Executive
Function
Basic
Writing
Skills
Motivation:
Justin’s interest in
music and
technology.
Interference
Intervention
•Uses pauses or fillers
•Frequent use of nonspecific words
•Difficulty remembering instructions or
directions
•Over-reliance on context to
understand
•Difficulty making inferences, predicting
outcomes, drawing conclusions
•Limited vocabulary
•Difficulty giving
directions/explanations
•Difficulty with sequenced narrative
•Explanations, stories, etc. lack detail
Preteaching vocabulary and the meaning of
the figurative language in the lyrics
addresses weaknesses in receptive and
expressive language. Sequencing the “story”
in the lyrics provides an opportunity to
narrate details.
•Perseverates on topics,
sentences or words
•Difficulty generating ideas
for writing
Discussion about repetitive lyrics in
comparison to academic writing will provide
an opportunity to clarify the differences. Use
of Justin’s interest in this music will provide
ideas for writing.
•Frequent erasures and cross-outs
•Poor writing fluency
•Difficulty applying orthographic
and morphologic rules
•Confusion about homophones
Lyrics contain a few affixes (un-, -ly, -s, -ing)
to reinforce how affixes change use or
meaning.
Dr. Terri Zerfas 2014