How Might Pragmatic Language Skills Affect the Written Expression of Students with Language Learning Disabilities?

This article describes ways in which pragmatic language abilities may play a role in the writing performance of children and adolescents with language learning disabilities. First, a brief overview is presented of how pragmatic language difficulties might negatively influence writing performance. Next, research on the writing performance of students with language and learning problems is reviewed. Key components based on these reviews are incorporated into a sociocognitive model of writing in which pragmatic language abilities are highlighted and illustrated as they apply to writing poetry. Finally, some suggestions are offered for scholars and practitioners to encourage attention to pragmatic issues in the writing of children and adolescents.