The Odd Fish Story

Essley was a “different learner,” and now he works in schools showing teachers how visual/verbal tools can help all students, including their “different learners,” succeed. One valuable tool is storyboarding, a process by which students build a story through visual stages—drafts, conferences, revisions—before writing even begins. Essley shares the story of one special needs student who found new confidence and success by participating in this process with “regular” seventh graders, all of whom demonstrated increased comprehension, more engaging writing, and a greater recall of classroom content.