Do you use writing prompts with your kids? Can your students write their own story? Can your students even read? Most of my students could do neither, but every single one could write their own story using a writing prompt with pictures. You can even download a free one to try at the end of this post.
I have noticed an increased emphasis on writing prompts for all students. We are asking kids to not only write more, but we are expecting them to write at a higher level than before. Although I imagine this is a challenge for even the regular education teacher, what do you do if you teach students who do not have that same ability?
How do use writing prompts for students who cannot read
Many special education teachers are faced with finding a way for students to meet the curriculum guidelines and produce some form of written content that I could b graded and demonstrate growth and comprehension. This is often done through the use of writing prompts. I decided to take these writing prompts other kids were using and make them accessible to students who could not write a story, or even read.
And these writing prompts worked GREAT!!
I developed a template relating to the topic we were going to write about. Sometimes, I just wrote it out quickly on construction paper. Sometimes, I had a writing prompt with pictures neatly formatted and printed off.
If I was really on my game, I had all my predetermined picture choices and writing prompt ready to go and printed out. That was my goal. The writing prompt would look something like this:
But, let’s face it, sometimes we are just not that ahead of the game. We use what we have. Sometimes that was looking through magazines, and other pre-printed material I could find. Sometimes, we used the student’s communication device to create the writing prompt. He or she would point to a picture and I would write the answer in the empty box.
Do writing prompts for kids remind you of mad libs?
These writing prompts are very similar to the old fashioned mad libs. There are no wrong answers. The writing prompts are their own personal expression.
That brings me to the other very important part of using writing prompts with students who likely can not even read or talk. Students need a chance to share their stories. I had them “read” their finished writing prompts in whatever mode of communication they were most comfortable with. That may have meant I recorded their story on their device, and they got to hit “play” while we listened. For my most affected students, I recorded their writing prompt, one line at a time, on a BigMack. They would read their story, hitting the button to advance to the next line.
So, I encourage you to try out some writing prompts with your students. I think you will be pleasantly surprised, and it will lead to increased participation and communication. Be sure to click on the button below to get your free apple writing prompt!!
Remember:
- Writing prompts for kids do not have to be long
- There are no wrong answers in these writing prompts
- Use what you have, writing prompts don’t need to look perfect
- Give them a chance to share their finished writing prompts
Due to my love of writing prompts for kids, I created a unit that contains 26 different writing prompts from A-Z. You can check it out here!!
