The Writing Lab Approach to Language Instruction and Intervention

This guidebook gives educators an exciting new approach to improving language and writing skills for all students. Developed through a decade of work with elementary and middle school children, the Writing Lab Approach uses computer-supported activities to encourage student progress in each stage of the writing process, from organizing to editing. The book focuses on three key components — writing process instruction, computer supports, and inclusive practices — and gives readers a primer on how children develop proficiency with language, a complete guide to setting up a writing lab, a discussion of software features and programs, instructions on using scaffolding to respond to individual needs, and an assessment tool the authors developed to analyze student writing samples. This book is an essential tool for helping all children, including English language learners and students with learning disabilities, become skillful writers and communicators.

Christine M. Bahr, Ph.D., ATP, received her bachelor's degree in special education from Fontbonne College in St. Louis, Missouri. Her master of science degree in educational administration and supervision is from Southern Illinois University, and her doctorate in special education and instructional systems technology is from Indiana University. Dr. Bahr began her professional career as a teacher of students with severe disabilities in St. Louis County Special School District. She was on the faculty of Western Michigan University from 1988 to 1998. Her presentations and publications address uses of assistive technology as a means of promoting participation of students with special needs in the general education curriculum. She and her husband live in Terre Haute, Indiana. They enjoy attending their four children's sporting events and musical activities, camping, and visiting relatives from coast to coast.

Kathryn Kinnucan-Welsch, Ed.D., is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. Her bachelor of arts degree is from the University of Illinois, and her master of arts degree and doctorate in education degrees are from Western Michigan University. Dr. Kinnucan-Welsch has published and presented extensively on professional development of practicing teachers, particularly in the area of early literacy instruction. She began her career as a Title I Reading Specialist and is currently working with Literacy Specialists in a statewide literacy professional development initiative in Ohio. She has been at the University of Dayton since 1997. Dr. Kinnucan-Welsch lives in Springboro, Ohio, and enjoys spending time in Michigan and Ohio with her four grown children, gardening, and traveling.

Nickola Wolf Nelson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Professor, Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Associate Dean for Research in the College of Health and Human Services, 1903 West Michigan Avenue, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008. Dr. Nelson received her bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from Wichita State University. She is the author of Childhood Language Disorders in Context: Infancy Through Adolescence, Second Edition (1998 Allyn & Bacon), and Planning Individualized Speech and Language Intervention Programs, Second Edition (1989, PRO-ED), as well as numerous articles and chapters on classroom-based language intervention and related topics. Dr. Nelson began her professional career as a school clinician in Kansas and also served as a speech-language consultant specialist for Berrien County Intermediate School District in Michigan. She has been a member of the faculty at Western Michigan University since 1981. Dr. Nelson and her husband live on a lake in Three Rivers, Michigan. They enjoy gardening, boating, and entertaining their children, grandchildren, and extended families on the lake.

Ms. Van Meter is Clinic Coordinator at the Charles Van Riper Language, Speech, and Hearing Clinic. Her bachelor's and master's degrees are from the University of Michigan. Ms. Van Meter has presented widely and is co-author of a number of articles on language assessment and intervention in curriculum-based contexts. She began her professional career in the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor. She has been affiliated with Western Michigan University since 1992. Ms. Van Meter, her husband, and their two daughters live in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They enjoy swimming, traveling, hiking, and entertaining each other with stories.