Predictable Chart Writing is a powerful teaching tool that has been widely used in special education classrooms to enhance literacy skills among students with various learning needs. In this blog post, we’ll explore what it is, its benefits, and how it can be effectively implemented in special education settings. We’ll also discuss the research supporting its use. Let’s dive in!
What is Predictable Chart Writing?
Predictable Chart Writing, often referred to as “Shared Writing,” is an instructional approach that involves collaborative writing between teachers and students. It typically starts with a teacher-generated chart that contains a repetitive or predictable pattern. Students actively participate in creating the chart by contributing words, phrases, or sentences. These charts serve as visual aids for reading and writing activities.
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Benefits:
- Enhanced Literacy Skills– supports the development of various literacy skills, including phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. It provides a structured framework for students to engage with text meaningfully.
- Increased Engagement- This approach encourages active participation from all students. It creates a safe and inclusive environment where students can share their ideas, making learning more engaging.
- Improved Writing Skills- Students become more confident writers through repetition and guided practice. They learn to construct sentences, use appropriate punctuation, and understand basic grammar rules.
- Language Development- promotes language development by exposing students to new words and concepts. It helps build their vocabulary and comprehension skills.
- Accessibility- can be adapted to meet the diverse needs of students with disabilities. Visual supports, such as pictures or symbols, can be incorporated to assist non-verbal or minimally verbal students.
Implementing Predictable Chart Writing in Special Education Settings:
Predictable chart writing only takes 10-15 minutes out of your day. It doesn’t take long and it’s time well spent!
- Choose age-appropriate topics: Select relevant and age-appropriate topics for your students. Considering their interests is key to unlocking reading and writing skills. The resource below uses the topic of zoo animals to introduce predictable chart writing. Students complete an animal craft to peak their interest. Then, they create their sentence.
- Use visual supports: Incorporate visuals, such as pictures or symbols, alongside text to support comprehension and communication for students with special needs.
- Encourage Active Participation: Ensure all students have the opportunity to contribute to the chart. Adapt the level of participation based on individual abilities.
- Repetition is Key: Repetition helps reinforce learning. Use the same predictable chart over one week. Each day, focus on something different (ie. how many words in each sentence, punctuation, upper/lowercase letters, etc.)
- Differentiation: Tailor the activity to meet the unique needs of each student. Provide additional support, prompts, or adaptations as required.
Sample Schedule:
Monday: Complete an art project or craft to build background knowledge about the topic for the week. Discuss relevant vocabulary, too.
Tuesday: Write the chart. Provide a sentence stem for students and have them complete the sentence. Multiple students might complete the sentence similarly, but that’s okay. Provide a visual word bank for students who need more support.
Wednesday: Reread the chart. Choral read all the sentences as a class. Then, have individual students stand at the front of the room to read individually.
Thursday: Cut up each sentence into individual words. Mix the words up and have students put the words back in order. This helps students interactively learn sentence structure. As time passes, students can cut their sentences into individual words.
Friday: Students will write sentences and draw matching pictures on a book page. Put the pages together to make a class book! Keep the class book in the classroom library.
Research Supporting Predictable Chart Writing
Research studies have shown the effectiveness of Predictable Chart Writing in special education. A study published in the “Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs” (2019) found that this approach significantly improved the writing skills of students with disabilities. Another study in the “Journal of Special Education” (2008) demonstrated increased engagement and literacy development in students with autism spectrum disorders.
In conclusion, Predictable Chart Writing is a valuable tool for special education classrooms, fostering literacy skills, engagement, and language development. Backed by research, this approach can be adapted to meet the needs of diverse learners, making it a fundamental resource for educators in special education settings. Incorporating Predictable Chart Writing into your teaching practices can lead to positive outcomes for your students and empower them on their literacy journey.
Do you want to learn more about teaching writing to special education students? Check out my blog post on teaching the writing process to all students: