Simple ways to assess the writing skills of students with learning disabilities

2008-2009
Grand Prize- Published and sold at Scholastic Book Fairs
Rejoice! A Celebration of Life in the Amazon Rain Forest
Written and illustrated by third grade students at Mendon Center Elementary
A book of poetry and non-fiction with colorful collage art informed readers about the variety of life found in the Amazon Rainforest, as well as information about the destruction of the Amazon. The inspiration for the writing came from students’ learning in social studies about the geography of Brazil. uthentic Writing Defined

Throughout your career as a teacher, you will guide your students through many different kinds of writing. One of the most important skills you will help your students develop is authentic writing. This kind of writing is one in which students write for a real purpose to a specific audience other than their teacher.
Teaching authentic writing can be an incredibly interesting activity for both you and your students. There are several key aspects of teaching authentic writing, including setting a purpose, finding an audience, and writing for the real world. This lesson will detail these aspects and provide strategies for teaching authentic writing.

Setting a Purpose

Think back on the last e-mail, letter, or even text message you sent. There is a good chance you wrote for a specific purpose. You could have texted a friend asking if they wanted to make plans, e-mailed a co-worker asking for help on a project, or written a letter to a distant relative updating them about important events in your life. Regardless of the medium, you almost always write with a purpose.
An important first step in guiding your students in authentic writing is to help them set a purpose for their writing. At first, this can be a difficult process as students are often unsure about the limits and expectations of an activity. Therefore, when you first begin teaching authentic writing, it is helpful to provide students with several options to choose from.
For example, you can give students the option to write several paragraphs about a change they'd like to see in their school, a letter to someone about an important experience, or an argument about something they disagree with. Each of these will give students the chance to see the different reasons they might write something, helping them set a purpose for their own pieces.
After students have had sufficient practice, they will be more likely to come up with their own purposes for writing. As you might know, your students are very passionate about a variety of things. Helping them channel those passions and opinions can lead to engaging and interesting authentic writing pieces.