Combining Universal Design for Learning and Self-Regulated Strategy Development to Bolster Writing Instruction

Abstract

Students with disabilities encounter persistent barriers in writing, which manifest within all phases of the writing process. These challenges can involve both higher order processes (e.g., organization, idea development) as well as lower order processes (e.g., legibility, spelling) related to writing. Educators can apply the principles of the universal design for learning (UDL) to lesson design by prioritizing student engagement considerations, promoting increased options for composing writing, and representing key ideas through multiple modalities. To further support struggling writers, teachers can use the self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) instructional approach to equip students with the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and self-regulatory behaviors that skillful writers regularly employ in their writing. By combining UDL and SRSD, educators have the opportunity to both broaden the reach of their writing instruction from the outset, and to optimize individualized supports for all writers in today’s classrooms.