Support strategies that can be integrated into the writing process

For Planning

The "Planning Think Sheet" uses a series of prompts:
- Who am I writing for?
- Why am I writing?
- What do I know?
- How can I group my ideas?
- How will I organize my ideas?46

Writing

The next step of putting the information into actual sentences can prove difficult for adults with learning disabilities. It includes dealing with grammar, spelling, and producing properly formed letters and symbols. The use of the computer has proved helpful along with a spell checker, a list of common spelling mistakes, a list of spelling rules, the Horn spelling method, and the use of a tape recorder to dictate what learners want to say and then translating it into written form.

POWER is an acronym to highlight the steps in the writing process.

Planning: learners think of audience, purpose, and background knowledge

Organizing: learners may choose to use a graphic organizer

Writing: practitioners demonstrate and use self-talk; then individual learners apply

Editing: self-evaluation includes rereading and starring things the learner likes and using question marks for those areas of which they are unsure. The learner creates two questions for the peer editor and then reads aloud the paper to the peer editor. The peer editor points out areas where writing can be strengthened and together they brainstorm how the paper can be improved

Revise: the learner revises his/her own writing