Access

Recruiting Interest

• Students choose a narrative mentor text from any “on-level” text (teacher-provided and/or self-found), which they find intriguing  

• Students aid in designing a multi-path, analytic writing rubric for assessing their narrative writing

• Propose (digital) publication of texts at writing’s end for sharing with other students, family members, or a broader audience 

Perception

• Directions and project information given in dyslexia (pp.7-10) and color blind friendly formats (printed and digital presentations)

• Present materials with student-friendly language that shows an understanding of where they will be coming from in their writing 

Physical Action

• Allow for touchscreen / dictation / speech-to-text / text-to-speech software, as appropriate or required for particular students

• Teacher demonstrates and encourages correct use of word prediction, grammar checkers, spell checkers on available software 

Build

Sustaining Effort & Persistence

• Teacher and students agree on acceptable “alternatives” for complexity in terms of length, format, final presentation, etc., which align with writing goals

• Teacher presents exemplar(s) of writing based on the previously developed multi-path rubric 

Language & Symbols

• Teacher gives explicit clarification of vocabulary for writing and connections to expectations (e.g. Narrative Writing is fiction or nonfiction story writing that contains plot, setting, characters, conflicts, and theme. Each smaller element can be broken down in turn.)

• Utilize emoticons, symbols, and other highly visual or associative elements to aid in vocabulary acquisition and retention (see image below).  

Expression & Communication

• Allow for the use of “messaging” for class discussion responses which give students the ability to express themselves without talking in front of the whole class

• Multimodal examples of narrative writing alternatives shown (e.g. storyboards, scripts, social media)

• Teacher encourages students to add to a shared, class-wide, project “wiki” which clarifies concepts, asks and answers questions, and provides additional resources among peers with teacher oversight

• Teacher gives feedback on students’ narratives via variety of modalities (e.g. digital comments, digital video/voice comments, in-person)

• Teacher demonstrates and encourages use of conceptual organizers such as story webs, mind maps, etc. 

Internalize

Self Regulation

• Student formulates personalized goal for narrative writing. (Explain how this is much like a main character having a goal.)

• Teachers provide guided self-reflection / self-reinforcement question / statement banks and multiple forms of communicating these back to teacher (e.g. digital survey, text, vlog).

• Teachers model self-reflection / self-reinforcement for all students. (Show how these can be used in story development.) 

Comprehension

• Teacher provides background primers and reminders to help activate prior knowledge and fill in knowledge gaps on narrative writing structure and vocabulary and on teacher-provided mentor texts

• Teacher provides recap and review sessions in a mix of whole group and 1:1 meetings over narrative writing processes, individual writing goals, and “benchmark” moments. 

Executive Function

• Teacher demonstrates finding / showing connections by using exemplar essays

• Discuss big ideas and meaning behind them of exemplar text using graphics, storyboards, video reflections, etc. and show how this translates into writing generally

• Teacher provides additional supports in the form of writing guides and scaffolded writing checklists, as needed