"The Underlining Option"

2008 Catalog

Reprinted from Their World, 1992

"THE UNDERLINING OPTION"
by C. Wilson Anderson, Jr.

Editor's Note: The Underlining Option was conceived by Mr. Anderson in 1975. At that time he was a teacher in a Minnesota school district, working with learning disabled high school students in a main streaming situation. "The strategy was devised," he writes, "to empower students to take safe risks so that they could prove that knowledge of the subject matter had been mastered. All in-class writing is to be treated as a rough draft." Based on considerable feedback over the years, Mr. Anderson has revisited the idea and finds the need to comment on what he feels are "subversions" of the original thinking.

THE OPTION

Too often, students who are not good spellers, for whatever reason, seriously "sandbag" their written expression in order to cover up their inability. When this happens, three results can be observed:

Students spell only words that are known. The word/syllable ratio usually drops quickly from a comfortable conversational level to a stilted writing level.

In a test, students create strange sentences to avoid difficult but often important words.

Students lull themselves into thinking they have everyone "off their backs" when, in fact, the poor quality of the writing costs them both grades and "points" by their instructors. Teachers are often confused by good verbal behavior against the lazy appearing, if not intellectually embarrassing, written responses.

The "Underlining Option" provides that, when students write essay tests or reaction papers, they should use the appropriate vocabulary but may underline all words they know or suspect they have misspelled. No points are deducted. This enables the teacher to better judge the student's intellectual capability or, at least, the knowledge acquired. In addition, a whole area of writing deficiencies emerge which can then be remediated. Subsequently, students produce better quality work, allowing the instructor to assess more accurately the mastered knowledge of the student. In-class papers can be used as a basis for referral to the skill center resource staff. Requiring in-class writing on a regular basis allows the teacher to assess the student's true abilities and ensures that the student's needs are detected.

THE OPTION REVISITED

Some teachers have used the concept but have penalized the student two points for words underlined, but spelled correctly. The poor speller, for whatever reason, needs to feel secure in his writing attempts. Words underlined but spelled correctly, are really accomplishments and should be rewarded with a compliment and/or a pat on the back. The bright and creative language learning disabled (dyslexic) student, with or without a diagnosis and special education
eligibility, has been forced to create another strategy to protect himself.

A second concern is the student who underlines everything. Teachers know when students abuse or seem to abuse the system. When a student consistently underlines the same word, he needs to be gently confronted. "Harvey, I've noticed that you underline the misspelled word "thay". I also know that I promised you that underlined words are hassle free. Let you and I agree that this is an important word that you really need to spell." When the student and teacher agree to put a word on the student's Spelling and Usage List, it is added. When a student indicates that he should learn a specific word, it should also be added.

The student who underlines everything is showing the teacher that he is insecure and is covering all bases. This also needs direct, gentle confrontation. "Rollie, most of the words that you have underlined are spelled correctly. You are doing a good job with your writing! Can you tell me why you underlined more words than your classmates?" Answers to the question will vary from covering all bases to believing that the option is to underline everything. The Underlining Option must be re-negotiated in terms that the student understands.

The Underlining Option allows the student a safe way to take risks. The student and teacher always have the freedom to agree, mutually to change the rules. A teacher's job is to encourage academic growth. When students are forced into a defensive mode they devote all their energy into protecting themselves. Little or no academic growth can occur under those conditions. As always, the students will grow or pay the price of benign neglect or, worse, vindictiveness. The choice is the teacher's!

Permission to reproduce is granted. C. W. Anderson, Jr.