Writing FAQ

List of 12 frequently asked questions.

• Why did you choose Self-Regulated Strategy Development? What separates SRSD from traditional writing instruction?

  SRSD is the only writing approach that combines all essential evidence-based practices with proven results—districts see an average 7% increase in writing scores. Unlike traditional approaches, SRSD uniquely teaches self-regulation alongside writing strategies through explicit, systematic instruction in six routines: analyzing exemplars, planning and organizing, revising and editing, self-instruction, collaborative practice,

  and goal-setting. For students with dyslexia and related learning differences, SRSD's structured approach with strategic tools and emphasis on positive self-talk provides exactly what they need to become confident, independent writers.

• Will my student be ready for high school English and college writing?

  Our goal is to prepare students for rigorous high school English and college-level writing based on their individual profile. Students from our program successfully enter various high school English courses with the strategic independence and self-regulation skills needed to succeed.

• How do you ensure teachers stay current with best practices in writing instruction?

  All teachers receive comprehensive SRSD training and ongoing professional development. Teachers attend quarterly content meetings and receive continuous instructional coaching, including classroom observations, feedback, and individual coaching sessions to refine their teaching strategies. We partner with SRSD experts and stay current with the latest research on writing instruction for students with learning differences. We apply evidence-based strategies directly in our classrooms.

• Does your writing program align with Common Core State Standards?

  Yes. SRSD and our complementary programs directly align with Common Core writing standards while providing the explicit, systematic instruction students with learning differences need. We ensure students develop proficiency in narrative, informational, and opinion/argumentative writing as outlined in the standards, while

  using strategies that make success accessible.

• How do you ensure students don't fall behind grade-level writing expectations?

  We meet students where they are as writers, building toward grade-level proficiency at their optimal pace. Our diagnostic assessments and progress monitoring ensure steady growth toward writing competency. By addressing all strands of the writing rope simultaneously—transcription, syntax, text structure, writing craft, and critical thinking—we build comprehensive writing skills that enable students to meet and exceed grade-level expectations.

• My child has terrible handwriting. Will this hold them back in writing?

  Handwriting is just one strand of the writing rope. While we provide explicit multisensory handwriting instruction (Learning Cursive, grades 2-3) to develop fluent transcription, we also teach keyboarding skills (grades 4-6) so students have multiple ways to get their ideas on paper. The goal is automatic transcription that frees cognitive resources for composition. Many of our students eventually prefer typing, which allows them to produce longer, more complex compositions.

• What about spelling? How are they able to write when spelling is hard for them?

  Spelling is part of the transcription strand and the editing process. We teach spelling systematically through our structured literacy program and incorporate it into the CUPS editing strategy (Capitals, Usage, Punctuation, Spelling). We prompt students to apply learned strategies into their writing, use spell-check tools appropriately, and develop proofreading strategies. The key is that spelling difficulties don't prevent students from expressing complex ideas—we separate drafting from editing so transcription challenges don't inhibit composition.

• How long until I see improvement in my child’s writing?

  You may see shifts in confidence and attitude toward writing within weeks as students internalize strategies and develop positive self-talk. Measurable improvements in writing quality typically emerge within a semester as students practice applying strategies independently. Remember that writing development is complex—students are building skills across multiple strands simultaneously. Progress looks different for each student based on their starting point and learning profile.

• My child says they hate writing. How do you address this?

  Anxiety around writing and avoidance are common among students with language-based learning differences. We address this directly through SRSD's emphasis on self-talk and self-regulation. Students learn to recognize and redirect negative inner dialogue ("I can't do this" becomes "I know the steps. I can handle this"). By experiencing success at each step and developing strategic independence, students rebuild their relationship with writing. Many students who arrive saying they "hate writing" leave as confident writers who believe in their ability to express ideas.

• Can my child use these strategies in other classes besides writing time?

  That's the goal! SRSD strategies are designed to be portable and transferable. Students use their organizational tools (TIDE, CSPACE) to support comprehension across content classes, write history essays, and respond to reading. They apply sentence expansion techniques across subjects. They use the writing process and self-regulation skills whenever they write. This vertical alignment ensures writing instruction isn't isolated but integrated into every aspect of academic life.

• What accommodations do you provide for students during writing instruction?

  Our multi-sensory approaches provide built-in accommodations that often exceed IEP recommendations. Students benefit from various graphic organizers, visual supports for sentence structure, word banks, text-to-speech and speech-to-text technology when appropriate, and multi-modal opportunities to display learning. We

  also provide individualized supports based on each student's cognitive profile and learning needs, including breaking complex tasks into manageable steps and providing strategic scaffolding that gradually releases responsibility to the student.

• How do you assess writing progress?

  We use multiple measures including writing samples across genres, strategy use observations, self-regulation checklists, and rubrics aligned with grade-level expectations. We look at growth over time in all strands of the writing rope—not just the final product, but also the process students use, their strategic independence, and

  their self-talk and confidence as writers.