The writing process poses many challenges for students with LD. Many students lack a knowledge of basic text structures (e.g., the parts of a story or the methods of orga-nizing expository text). They must deal with mechanics (e.g., transcription skills, spelling, sentence structure), planning, organization, and revising. Dealing with these processes, often simultaneously, can be both cognitively demanding and emotionally stressful. One very effective strategy to help students learn to write narrative text (i.e., stories) is the WWW, What = 2, How = 2 strategy. Table 7.1 shows the strategy.
This strategy is unusual in that it was designed to integrate self-instructions and a content strategy. Thus the self-regulation component is literally built into the strategy.
In this case, the self-instructions are designed to ensure that the student focuses on Subtraction Example
1. I copied the problem correctly.
2. I underlined all the top numbers that were smaller than the bottom.
3. I put a 1 next to each underlined number.
4. I borrowed correctly (number crossed out is one bigger).
5. I subtracted all the numbers.
6. I subtracted correctly.
Multiplication Example
1. I started in the 1’s column.
2. If the product was more than 9, I remembered to regroup.
3. I wrote the regrouped number above the next column.
4. I remembered to check my multiplication facts.
FIGURE 7.1. Example of a self-monitoring checklist for math.
From Robert Reid and Torri Ortiz Lienemann (2006). Copyright by The Guilford Press. Permission to photocopy this figure is granted to purchasers of this book for personal use only (see copyright page for details).
important tasks in the writing process and deploys and uses the content strategy.
Each step of the strategy is a self-instruction directed toward an important aspect in the writing process. The self-instructions serve to focus the student on important aspects of the task, to cope with possible anxiety, to deploy a content strategy (i.e., the story parts), to use the content strategy, and to self-monitor the quality of the story that is written.
When teaching strategies such as WWW, What = 2, How = 2 that have both content and self-regulation strategies, it’s important to explicitly teach and model both the con-tent and self-regulation strategies. Figure 7.2 shows how a teacher might model the strategy. Note that the design of this strategy is intended to let students “talk them-selves through” the story-writing process. Students quite literally tell themthem-selves what to do at each step in the process.
There is another important aspect of self-instructions that teachers should under-stand. Self-instructions can be used effectively to help students with motivational prob-lems. As a part of the strategy process, students can be taught specific self-statements designed to help them cope with negative thoughts or feelings that may occur. Stu-dents may also be taught to self-reinforce. Note that self-reinforcement does not have to be tangible. Positive self-statements can be quite effective. The following are some examples of self-statements that can be used for self-reinforcement:
“Awesome!” “Sweet!”
“Nice job!” “Outstanding!”
“That was my best!” “Score!”
“I can do this!” “Super!”
“I did it!” “Excellent!”
TABLE 7.1. Self-Instruction Strategy for WWW, What = 2, How = 2
Step 1. Think of a story to share with others.
Step 2. Let your mind be free.
Step 3. Write down the story part reminder: WWW, What = 2 How = 2
• Who is the main character? Who else is in the story?
• When does the story take place?
• Where does the story take place?
• What does the main character do?
• What happens when they try to do it?
• How does the story end?
• How does the main character feel?
Step 4. Write down story part ideas for each part.
Step 5. Write your story. Use good parts and make sense.”
Note. Based on Graham, S., Harris, K. R., & Sawyer, R. (1987). Composition instruc-tion with learning disabled students: Self-instrucinstruc-tional strategy training. Focus on Exceptional Children, 20(4), 1–11.
“What am I being asked to do? Mrs. Parde said I am going to use the WWW, What = 2, How = 2 strategy to write a story. I need to remember the parts that go into a story and this strategy will help me.
Now STEP 1 of WWW, What = 2, How = 2 says to Think of a Story. Mrs. Parde showed us a picture of this bird flying into a deli shop window and a man feeding the bird. I think I will use this for my story. OK, STEP 1 is done. This picture will be fun to write a story about.
On to STEP 2, “Let your mind be free.” Well, I know it always helps me if I clear all the distractions from my workspace. I better put these books away and clear those papers off my desk. OK, now take some deep breaths and begin my work. It is important to do this so I’m not distracted and can focus on my writing. My mind is free. I’m ready and excited to start writing.
Now STEP 3. This is a big step, but very important. I see lots of questions. Hey, I bet this is where the WWW, What = 2, How = 2 mnemonic helps me remember all the questions I must answer to write my story. Why are these so important? Oh yeah, they help me to make sure I have all the important parts of my story. OK, so I think I should write the mnemonic on my paper so I’ll commit this to my memory. I know I have Mrs. Parde’s sheet here to help me, but just so I can become better at this strategy I better try writ-ing the questions out on my own.
Now how will I remember the exact questions that must go with all these W’s? And why is it important that I do? Well it’s important I remember all these “W” questions so I do the strategy correctly. We always ask who, what, when, why, and where when we read and write other stories, I think that will help me remember these. So we need to know
“Who is the main character?” and along with that “Who else is in the story?” I have characters, now I need a setting and time, so a when and where. So “When does the story take place?” and “Where does the story take place?” I now have a “who,” “when,”
and “where.” There’s two “what”s. I remember stories must have a plot or a problem. So maybe one question is “What does the main character do?” and “What happens when they try to do it?” The “what”s are now answered, now on to the “how”s. I bet the how’s have to do with “How the story ends” and how everything is tied up and ended. I also know it’s important to know “How the main character feels.” OK, so now I’ve deter-mined all the questions, now I must answer them. I know I have them all correct as I look back on the sheet Mrs. Parde gave me to remember the strategy.
Now I need to look at the picture again and begin answering the questions. The picture shows a man and bird. I think my main character will be the man, and I think I’ll name him Fred. Other characters will be the bird and other customers at the deli. When does
(cont.)
FIGURE 7.2. Example of a think-aloud for WWW, What = 2, How = 2. This think-aloud was developed by Aimee Parde and is used by permission.