Writing Process

Our process follows a basic sequence:

Allow the student to dictate ideas or to write on a keyboard only thinking about ideas — we call this brainstorming.

Read the brainstorm aloud and clarify if each sentence conveys the intended message, which frequently it does not because of syntax problems.

Write and re-write sentences so they convey the student’s meaning.

Write and rewrite sentences to teach about complex sentence structures.

Analyze the organization of the piece in order to see if it conveys the argument well.

Look to see if each main idea is supported by examples.

Look to see if each example has a main idea introducing it.

Edit mechanics: punctuation, spelling and grammar.

We tailor this process for each student depending on what he needs. For the student with Executive Functioning (EF) issues, we work on annotating the text, brainstorming ideas and formulating an outline. For the admitted perfectionist who can’t move onto the next sentence until the current one is, well, perfect, we teach how to separate the writing process from the editing process. We let the dysgraphic student dictate in order to direct mental energy to the ideas rather than to the mechanics of maneuvering a pencil. Modeling different techniques and giving each student appropriate strategies creates successful writers who easily generalize the skills we teach them.