Writing Reimagined: Using Constant Time Delay Paired with Technology-Aided Instruction to Teach Sentence Construction

Faculty Mentor

Pamela Mims

Mentor Home Department

Educational Foundations and Special Education

Short Abstract

This study is a replication of a study initially done by Thai Williams and Pamela Mims evaluating the effectiveness of an intervention package for teaching writing to students in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade with intellectual disability, developmental delays, and autism (IDD). Special educators often shy away from writing due to alarmingly low rates of literacy in their classrooms. Writing activities are often skipped for activities that promote overall literacy, i.e. reading aloud, letter identification practice, and letter-sound correspondence activities. While these activities are crucial to developing literacy, students need writing instruction to be able to move into general education classrooms, and to be successful in their adult lives. This study is designed to evaluate one method of writing instruction to improve the writing skills of students in special education classes. We used constant time delay (CTD) and sentence frames to draft sentences using technology-aided instruction (TAI). We used a multiple probe across participants design to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. We conducted probes during baseline and intervention to determine efficacy of the intervention on correct word selection for sentence construction. Thus far, results indicate that the intervention is effective in promoting correct word selection. Further replication is necessary. As of now, the intervention appears to be promising for regular classroom use. Our hope is that this intervention can be used to increase literacy rates in special education classrooms, and better equip students to move into general education classrooms to be with their same-age peers.

Category

Education

Start Date

5-4-2024 3:30 PM

End Date

5-4-2024 4:30 PM

Location

D.P. Culp Center Multicultural Center Presentation Room

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Apr 5th, 3:30 PM Apr 5th, 4:30 PM

Writing Reimagined: Using Constant Time Delay Paired with Technology-Aided Instruction to Teach Sentence Construction

D.P. Culp Center Multicultural Center Presentation Room

This study is a replication of a study initially done by Thai Williams and Pamela Mims evaluating the effectiveness of an intervention package for teaching writing to students in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade with intellectual disability, developmental delays, and autism (IDD). Special educators often shy away from writing due to alarmingly low rates of literacy in their classrooms. Writing activities are often skipped for activities that promote overall literacy, i.e. reading aloud, letter identification practice, and letter-sound correspondence activities. While these activities are crucial to developing literacy, students need writing instruction to be able to move into general education classrooms, and to be successful in their adult lives. This study is designed to evaluate one method of writing instruction to improve the writing skills of students in special education classes. We used constant time delay (CTD) and sentence frames to draft sentences using technology-aided instruction (TAI). We used a multiple probe across participants design to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. We conducted probes during baseline and intervention to determine efficacy of the intervention on correct word selection for sentence construction. Thus far, results indicate that the intervention is effective in promoting correct word selection. Further replication is necessary. As of now, the intervention appears to be promising for regular classroom use. Our hope is that this intervention can be used to increase literacy rates in special education classrooms, and better equip students to move into general education classrooms to be with their same-age peers.