| Rx 4 Discovery for Writing™ |
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This is a lecture and laboratory course designed to train teachers to provide written language intervention in a group setting.
Rx for Discovery Writing is specifically intended for students in grades 4-12 whose basic written expression skills are below expected standards.
The time required for assignments and prerequisite assignments has been estimated at 7 hours.
Course Description
RX for Discovery Writing will build and strengthen grammar and writing mechanics, semantics, syntax, and composition writing skills with an emphasis on the writing process.
This intervention can happen within three 40-minute, weekly small group sessions or two 60-minute, weekly small group sessions. Students who need to master basic grammar and writing skills will most benefit from this programme. Though handwriting and spelling skills are utilised and applied, these skills are not explicitly taught in this intervention.
Students will be challenged to apply their growing understanding of grammar to the creation of sentences, paragraphs, and compositions. Students will be implementing grammar, spelling and usage rules when editing their own written work as well as the written work of others.
Language and higher-level thinking skills will be developed and supported in this interactive, small-group intervention that covers research-based writing content while mediation, Socratic questioning, and the strengthening of cognitive functions will serve as the core methodology.
In this dynamic intervention, students’ written expression skills will be honed while their thinking and language skills will be strengthened, all within an atmosphere where writing skills are explicitly taught so anxiety and reluctance to write are reduced and thinking is maximised.
Course Objectives
General:
Successful completion of this course will enable the participant to better understand student needs in written expression based on the subtypes of written language disorders and understand how to strengthen grammar, writing mechanics, semantics, syntax and composition skills while also learning how to utilise the group model for Rx for Discovery Writing to inspire reluctant and struggling writers to enjoy the writing process and the ability to communicate their own ideas in written form.
Specific:
Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to
- Acquire an understanding of the characteristics of students who struggle with written language disorders
- Articulate how the components of written language are related: handwriting, spelling, and composition of thought processes
- Design a writing intervention plan and implement techniques that meet the specific needs of a group of struggling writers for grades 4-12
- Communicate and implement the theories of mediated learning in a group
Prerequisites:
Participants need to have successfully completed Level 1 NILD Educational Therapy.
| Rx for Writing – Fundamentals™ |
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Course Description
This is a hybrid workshop with approximately 8 hours of pre-course work to be completed before attending the one-day meeting.
This training workshop provides Nursery School to Grade 3 teachers with foundational understandings from brain research on how handwriting develops from a biological and cognitive development perspective and the instructional implications.
Teachers will explore how handwriting impacts the brain and examine the link between handwriting, reading, and spelling.
The training focuses on broadening teachers’ conceptions of multi-modal instructional practices that support handwriting and writing success for all learners.
Key handwriting and written expression instruction include graphomotor skills, orthographic-motor integration, orthographic processing, cognition, language, and writing traits.
Course Objectives
Successful completion of this workshop will enable teachers to use evidence-based strategies to teach Nursery School – Grade 3 students basic handwriting and written expression skills.
