The effects of teacher directed writing instruction combined with SOLO Literacy Suite

Abstract

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an intervention in which teacher‐led instruction was combined with computerized writing software to improve paragraph writing for three middle school students with intellectual disability. A multiple probe across participants design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. During each 30 to 45‐min intervention session, the teacher provided instruction using a graphic organizer to remind students about grammar rules and proper paragraph structure. Then participants wrote paragraphs using three of the four software components of SOLO Literacy Suite (Write:OutLoud, Co:Writer and Draft:Builder). Data indicated that the intervention was effective in improving writing quality (topic adherence and mechanics measured on a rubric), percentage of words spelled correctly and percentage of correct word sequences for all participants. Implications for educators and future research are discussed.Lay DescriptionWhat is already known about this topic: Writing is a vital skill that must be present in order for secondary students to excel in all academic areas. Students with intellectual disabilities (ID) in secondary school experience difficulty with written expression. Limited explicit teaching of writing skills for students with disabilities results in schoolaged students continuing to struggle with written expression. What this paper adds: Writing technology, when paired with teacher-directed writing instruction, can be one solution for improving the writing of students with SD. The explicit teaching of writing skills, including mechanics and organizational structure, can contribute to the writing success of students with disabilities. Students with ID would better respond to technology‐based writing instruction when it is delivered along with well-planned teacher‐led instruction. Implications for practice and/or policy: The features of the writing software should fit the needs of students with disabilities in order for future writing interventions to be more effective. Changes that could be made to the software to meet the needs of students with disabilities include the following: the speed with which the text is read aloud, the voice of the text to speech feature, and the overall amount of time that participants have to develop a written product.