Chapter+10-Assessing+and+Teaching+Handwriting+and+Written+Expression

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= Formal Handwriting Assessments =
 * == Basic School Skills Inventory – Third Edition- (inventory)assesses students handwriting in various tasks: writing left to right, grasping a pencil, writing first name, maintaining proper writing position, writing letters upon request, copying words, copying from chalkboard to paper, staying in the lines, and writing last name. ==
 * == Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills — II- (criterion-referenced) Tests several tests of handwriting, assesses manuscript and cursive, printing upper case and lower case letters in order, print personal information, and write numbers in order. ==
 * == Test of Handwriting Skills — Revised (Standardized test) writing both uppercase and lower case letters in manuscript or cursive depending on the age level. ==

= Analyzing the Student ’ s Writing Samples for Error Patterns  =
 * == Letter formation- involves the strokes that make up each letter. ==
 * == Letter size, proportion, alignment- size and proportion of letters are indicated by their height relationship to one another, alignment refers to the evenness of letters along the baseline, with letters of the same size being the same height. ==
 * == Spacing- spacing should be consistent between letters within words, as well as between words and sentences. ==
 * == Line quality- thickness and steadiness of the lines used to form letters should be consistent. ==
 * == Slant- slant of letters should be uniform. Manuscript letters are perpendicular to the baseline and have straight up and down appearance. ==
 * == Rate- handwriting speed can be determined on a writing sample by asking the student as well and as rapidly as possible. ==

= Assessment of Written Expression Skills =
 * == Formal Written Expression Assessment ==
 * === Metropolitan Achievement Tests — Eighth Edition: Writing Test- assesses content and development, organizational strategies, word choice, sentence formation, usage and writing mechanics. ===
 * === Peabody Individual Achievement Test — Revised- assesses prewriting skills for students in kindergarten through first grade and written language skills for students in second through twelfth grade. ===
 * === Stanford Writing Assessment Program — Third Edition- assesses ideas and development, organization, unity, and coherence, word choice, sentences and paragraphs, grammar and usage, and mechanics in four mode of writing. ===
 * === TerraNova, Third Edition- assesses language skills including sentence structure, writing strategies, and editing skills. ===
 * == Informal Written Expression Assessment ==
 * === Fluency- quantity of verbal output and refers to the number of words written. ===
 * === Syntax- construction of sentences or way words are put together to form phases, clauses, and sentences. ===
 * === Vocabulary- originality or maturity in the student ’ s choice of words and the variety of words used in a written task. ===
 * === Structure- includes the mechanical aspects of writing such as punctuation, capitalization, and rules of grammar. ===
 * === Content- fifth component of writing- can be divided into accuracy, ideas, and organization. ===
 * === Profile of Components- by examining writing sample, teacher can determine which skills are need to be introduced or remediated and which have been acquired. ===
 * === Curriculum-Based Measurement- allows teacher to correct data routinely and monitor instructional progress. ===
 * === Portfolio- student can compile a collection of self-produced written words to reflect efforts, progress, and achievements in written expression. ===
 * === Observations and Interviews- teacher can observe student ’ s actions during various stages of the writing progress. ===


 * == Isaacson (2007) discusses four characteristics of the process approach in which the teacher introduces the student to the entire process of writing, from initial idea generation to editing of the final draft: ==
 * === The process should be modeled-teacher should model planning by raising questions on the topic and demonstrate ways to organize information. ===
 * === The process can be collaborative- can involve either teacher or others students in activities such as brainstorming ideas, contributing, and organizing information, giving constructive feedback, and editing mechanical errors. ===
 * === The process can be prompted- teacher can assist by prompting the steps of the writing process or helping with writing decisions. ===
 * === The process should become self-initiated and self-monitored- teacher can show the student specific writing strategies and ideas for self-instructional statements. ===