Writing Instruction for Students with Disabilities, Part 2

Several years ago I discovered a great way to help students with learning disabilities to practice their written language skills in a way that will keep them motivated to write. Another teacher in the county that I worked for actually initiated the project that my students came to love. The teacher called my principal and requested that she ask her teachers if they were interested in starting a pen pal writing project with her. When I was approached with the idea, I knew right away that it was something I wanted to do. I had been an advocate for exposing students to as much writing experiences as possible since my college days. I believe that with ample practice in elementary and secondary school, students will be more likely to succeed in college. All teachers at all levels need to incorporate lots of writing into every subject.

The project started with the teacher sending me a large envelope filled with friendly letters from her students to mine. When we received the letters, we immediately began working on responses. We had previously begun practicing with mini-lessons that prepared my students for the task within our writing process time. The pen pal writing project started in January. By May, all of my students were solid writers, using all of the correct elements that make for effective written communication. I have also led the project as an inter-classroom project by separating the class into two groups and having them write to a pal from the opposite group anonymously. The students had lots of fun in both formats of the project.

Look for the book, The Interesting Pen Pal, to read more about what happened during our pen pal project and to get some of the lessons and materials that were used. The book is available on www.amazon.com and www.teacherspayteachers.com. This book is great reading for both teachers and students.