Building confidence, positive self-talk, and strategic planning skills for writing (with Dr. Nelly Kaakaty)

The writing process comes with internal resistance, even for strong writers.

Most people who say they enjoy writing don’t enjoy the entire process; particularly the “getting started” part. 

This is why writing is a common challenge when executive functioning is impacted. 

Layer on issues with background knowledge, language, and decoding, and it becomes even more complex. 

Kids need support with the “puzzle pieces” that fit together to support writing. Things like vocabulary, syntax, the ability to decode words, and the ability to spell. 

But while we’re working on these foundational skills, we also need to make sure kids get support with the “glue” that holds them together. 

This is where self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) can be really powerful. SRSD is a metacognitive strategy designed to help students with the planning and execution of challenging academic tasks like writing. 

That’s why I invited Dr. Nelly Kaakaty to episode 192 of the De Facto Leaders podcast to talk about her research and work in the field with SRSD and supporting students with learning differences.
Dr. Nelly Kaakaty is an educational therapist and psychology professor dedicated to creating a more accessible world, one classroom at a time. She has spent the last 12 years as a teacher, learning specialist, and researcher, designing academic programs to support all types of learners. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Child Learning and Development from the University of Texas at Dallas, a Master’s degree in Psychology from Texas A&M University-Commerce, and a doctorate in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Special Education from A&M-Commerce. Her current work is twofold: she is learning specialist at an independent school, where she provides academic support to high school students, and she is a professor at a community college, where she teaches courses in psychology.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✅Why so many writing challenges are tied to executive functioning.

✅The power of micro-commitments and working through the struggle.

✅Scaffolding, fading prompts, and giving “just enough” support.

✅“We start writing before we start writing” and why starting with 5 minutes is okay.

✅Self-talk is for strategy and self-image: We need to model and explicitly teach both.

You can connect with Dr. K on Instagram @learningwithdrk, or on her website here: https://learningwithdrk.com/?ref=collabs.io

Learn about the resources she offers on her Amazon page here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/learningwithdr.k?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_aipsflearningwithdr.k_BMWF4ZEERV80HH7SES3B

Connect with her on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nellykaakaty/?ref=collabs.io

In this episode, I mentioned the following resources:

Think SRSD : https://thinksrsd.com/

IRIS Center: SRSD Resources : https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/srs/

EP 130: Using private practice to offer accessible services and advocate for your profession (with Ebony Green) : https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-162-the-summer-slide-real-phenomenon-or-invented-by-tutoring-companies-with-david-schipper/

EP 176: Building the language skills for reading, writing, and spelling (with Dr. Jan Wasowicz): https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-176-building-the-language-skills-for-reading-writing-and-spelling-with-dr-jan-wasowicz/

“Explicit Instruction: Effective and Efficient Teaching” by Anita L. Archer and Charles A. Hughes : https://explicitinstruction.org/

 “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield : https://stevenpressfield.com/books/the-war-of-art/

“Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12543.Bird_by_Bird

Tim Ferriss Show Episode Episode 263: Master Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky-Exploring Creativity, Ignoring Critics, and Marking Art: https://tim.blog/2017/09/09/darren-aronofsky/

Tim Ferriss Show Episode 154: The Habits of a Master-Paulo Coehlo, Author of the Alchemist: https://tim.blog/2016/04/23/paulo-coelho-the-alchemist/

In this episode, I mention the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps related service providers develop a strategic plan for putting executive functioning support in place in collaboration with their school teams. You can learn more about that program here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership

Learn more about today's sponsors, Playworks, IXL and Renaissance:

Learn more about Renaissance:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation. 

We’re also thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.