Expanding Drafts

Expanding Drafts can be used by students at any level. For writers with low level skills, it can involve adding a few simple words while individuals with higher level skills can add many modifiers, phrases and clauses.

Many individuals with learning differences struggle with writing. Problems with handwriting are called dysgraphia, the inability to write legibly caused by fine motor control problems. This is different than the difficulty that many have with written expression. Of course individuals who have dysgraphia can and often do have difficulty with written expression. But there are many children and adults who have significant difficulty expressing their ideas in writing even when using a computer or word processor. Some individuals who have difficulty with written expression have good oral skills. They can speak well and express their thoughts clearly. However, they cannot express the same thoughts clearly when writing, and the sentence structure is often grammatically incorrect. Others who struggle with writing have problems expressing themselves with both oral and written language. The thoughts they express are disconnected, disorganized, unclear and often grammatically incorrect.

The people who have racing minds often find their thoughts race much faster than their hands are able to write them down. They often skip words and, sometimes, whole thoughts as they try to write. Their ideas often run together so the written product is disorganized.

Individuals who have good oral communication skills often find that they are unable to write well because they cannot use the same level of vocabulary or sentence structure as they do when they speak. Since spoken language is different from written language, those who can speak well, but not write well, avoid writing because it is frustrating and embarrassing. Those individuals who have difficulties with sequencing evidence sentence structure that is awkward and grammatically incorrect.

Individuals who have difficulty with written language need to practice writing skills. Free writing, just trying to express ideas in writing, can actually reinforce poor sentence structure and bad habits because the person often tries to write as he/she speaks. Expanded drafts is a technique which I have used with students and find helpful in developing writing skills. This technique emphasizes using written language rather than oral expression.