Education Commons^™

Supporting Student Success In Information Literacy And Writing Skills, Beth Transue, Brooke Dunbar-Treadwell

Library Staff Presentations & Publications

Information literacy is more important than ever as students’ information sources rapidly expand and change. Fortunately, Messiah has numerous resources to support instructors and students in cutting through the clutter and improving writing. In this workshop we will discuss those supports as well as resources that can be applied to a wide array of writing assignments. Particularly, ways to scaffold information literacy initiatives with the help of online and library based tools. This workshop is facilitated by Brooke Dunbar-Treadwell, Director of Writing and Senior Lecturer of English and Beth Transue, Information Literacy Librarian.

Literacy Instructional Coaching Practices In Writing And Writing Instruction: An Exploration Of K–6 Teachers' Perspectives, Jadelyn Abbott, Katherine Landau Wright, Hannah Carter

Literacy, Language, and Culture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify if and how K–6 teachers perceive that their literacy instructional coaches influence their writing teaching.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors employed a parallel convergent mixed-methods design with survey data. The authors used thematic analysis to identify patterns within short-answer responses.

Findings

K–6 teachers receive little literacy coaching specific to writing. However, when they do receive coaching, they believe it benefits their writing instruction. Sustained coaching through the coaching cycle, frequent collaborations, and support with writing instructional resources and strategies were reported as the most influential writing coaching practices.

Research limitations/implications

Sample size was …

Back To The Future: Looking At Nostalgic Practices To Conceptualize A More Inclusive Literacy Future (Part 1), Rebecca Witte, Darreth Rice

Michigan Reading Journal

In the first of two articles, the authors, two girls that “Just Want to Have Fun,” reminisce about educational literacy practices of the past, specifically one nostalgic writing practice, dialogue journaling. Using the analogy of a familiar toy from the 1980s, the View Master, they aim to revitalize an antiquated practice using modern theoretical frameworks (reels) that make current classroom practices more inclusive for today’s students. Looking to “reels” of academic (using current state standards), culturally relevant pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1995), social emotional learning (Mussey, 2019), and humanizing instruction (Freire, 1968), we support current teachers in analyzing their practices to foster …

Lucy Calkins, Units Of Study, Balanced Literacy, And The Art Of Not Being Silly, Andrew P. Johnson

Elementary and Literacy Education Department Publications

No abstract provided.

The Five-Step Writing Process, Andrew P. Johnson

Elementary and Literacy Education Department Publications

This is an excerpt from my book, Johnson, A. (2024). Being and becoming teachers of writing: A meaning-based approach. Routledge. It should be out in March.April of 2024.

https://www.routledge.com/Being-and-Becoming-Teachers-of-Writing-A-Meaning-Based-Approach-to-Authentic/Johnson/p/book/9781032355726

The Keys Of Keyboard-Based Writing: Student And Classroom-Level Predictors Of Keyboard-Based Writing In Early Primary, Anabela A. Malpique, Debora Valcan, Deborah Pino-Pasternak, Susan Ledger, Mustafa Asil, Timothy Teo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In today's fast-paced digital world, keyboard-based writing has become a key component of daily communication, with students engaging in keyboarding early in their school trajectories. Nonetheless, there's a lack of systematic studies investigating individual-level factors impacting keyboard-based writing and relationships with the writing instruction typically provided in primary school settings. Using multilevel modelling the current study examined student-level predictors of keyboard-based writing quality and fluency in Year 2 Australian children (N = 544), including keyboarding automaticity, spelling, reading skills, executive functioning, writing attitudes, gender; and classroom-level (N = 47) variables predicting keyboard-based writing, such as teachers’ preparation and instructional practices …

A Multiple Case Study Of Primary Grade School Teachers' Experiences With Using Colors To Teach Writing, Rhonda L. Holcomb

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In this case study, I focused on understanding how primary grade school teachers in public schools in the United States use colors during writing instruction. During literacy instruction, the teacher communicates how to perform the writing process for students to become effective writers. Primary grade school teachers described how and why they use colors during writing instruction and how they learned to use colors for writing instruction and to assess their students’ writing. The theory guiding this study is Jerome Bruner’s instructional theory, supported by Cambourne’s conditions for literacy learning and the sociocultural writing theory. Data were collected through individual …

Grammar Instruction Embedded Within Writing Instruction In The Secondary Ela Classroom, Erika Scheu-Millek

Culminating Experience Projects

Available research indicates that American students are underperforming in the area of writing. Grammar is the foundation of the English language, so it follows that an understanding of the language system is inherent in the act of writing. Grammar instruction, however, has been largely absent from American ELA classrooms for the past half century. This project examines the research which supports grammar instruction as part of the writing process and synthesizes the most promising research findings into a writing unit for 11th and 12th grade students. This unit includes a genre-based framework for instruction, directed writing, sentence combining, and instructional …

Addressing Tensions In Textual Voice Construction, Marcela Ossa-Parra

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

Guiding historically minoritized students in their textual voice construction entails navigating the tensions between these white-dominant monolingual voices and the diverse voices they bring to the classroom. This conceptual paper presents an ecological voice-construction process model that sheds light on how writers negotiate external and internal expectations in their writing. These expectations are derived from the political, sociocultural, dialogic, and personal contexts in which voice construction is situated. The model establishes four interrelated processes for negotiating textual voice corresponding to each context: negotiating power relations and ideologies, entering the conversation, engaging the reader, and connecting with the self. This model …

Accelerate Beginner English Learner’S Writing Skills From Day One, Eugenia F. Krimmel Ed.D.

Journal of English Learner Education

This article addresses the customary practice of delaying teaching of writing for Beginner English Learners (BELs) which often results in slowing writing development. Barriers preventing teachers from earlier writing instruction include a belief BELs cannot produce written English before learned orally first, a lack of teaching writing know-how, and few level-appropriate materials for older BELs. The systematic approach ALL Beginner Learners of English (ABLE) Writing Method is a solution to build both teachers’ confidence and BELs’ phonics, spelling, and writing skills from day one. The basic premise of the ABLE Writing Method is that if one is able to think, …

Preservice Teachers’ Preparedness To Teach Writing: Looking Closely At A Semester Of Structured Literacy Tutoring, Hannah Carter, Jadelyn Abbott, Katherine Landau Wright

Literacy, Language, and Culture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Preparing preservice teachers (PSTs) as teachers of writing has gained attention in recent years, but little is known about their preparedness when engaging with student writers over extended periods. We examine PSTs’ preparedness to teach writing within a structured literacy tutoring experience to better understand the skills and knowledge of PSTs related to teaching writing. Results indicate PSTs contextualized writing instruction, considered clients’ affect around writing, and used data to inform writing lessons. PSTs were also grappling with specific pedagogical considerations related to writing instruction, offering implications for teacher educators and researchers.

Student Perceptions Of Writing: Effects Of Small Group Writing Intervention, Lauren Ramsey

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

This study examined fifth-grade students and how they perceived themselves as writers before and after the implementation of small group writing instruction. The researcher used pre- and post-surveys, journal entries, head notes, and focus groups to collect data from the students and herself as the researcher. To analyze the qualitative data, the researcher used the constant-comparative method and created level 1 and 2 codes. For quantitative data, descriptive statistics was used to graphically represent the data. The goal of this study was to understand if small group instruction would cause a shift in student perceptions about themselves as writers. After …

Teacher Reports Of Secondary Writing Instruction With Deaf Students, Kimberly A. Wolbers, Hannah Dostal, Leala Holcomb

Theory and Practice in Teacher Education Publications and Other Works

Since students’ writing skills are largely shaped by the quality of instruction they receive, we can learn from what teachers report about their beliefs and approaches to the teaching and learning of writing. This study explores the state of writing instruction at secondary levels with deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students through a mixed-methods approach using a sequential explanatory design. Two hundred and twenty-two teachers responded to a survey about writing instruction, and 10 teachers participated in follow-up focus groups. The findings indicate that the primary difference between the hearing middle and high school student population and the DHH …

Creating Communities Of Practice Focused On Writing Instruction, Katie Schrodt, Brandi Nunnery, Brian Kissel, Melissa Knapp

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

This article will share the literacy coaches' experiences of engaging in a literacy community of practice (Lave and Wenger, 1991). It will share the writing cohort process, topics discussed, books read, professional developments enacted, and materials generated during their time of study. The writing cohort enacted meaning and identity to the community to create learning and growth. Effective communities of practice promote innovation, spread knowledge, develop social capital, and facilitate existing knowledge (Lave and Wenger, 1991). These communities learn and grow through requesting information, problem solving, and reusing available assets. After a thorough description of the writing community and its …

Teachers’ Experiences With Online Writing Instruction In Virtual Charter High Schools, Stacey Harrison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With the increase in virtual education and online learning enrollments, there is a need to examine the quality of writing instructional approaches adapted for virtual classrooms. The problem was in two online charter high schools where students' English Language Arts standardized test writing scores remained low. The purpose of the project study was to research secondary teachers’ instructional strategies for writing instruction and their classroom experiences as they implemented an online writing program and a supplementary 6+1 Traits of Writing program. This project study was framed by the constructivist approach to learning and the seminal research of Applebee and Langer …

Teachers’ Experiences With Online Writing Instruction In Virtual Charter High Schools, Stacey Harrison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With the increase in virtual education and online learning enrollments, there is a need to examine the quality of writing instructional approaches adapted for virtual classrooms. The problem was in two online charter high schools where students' English Language Arts standardized test writing scores remained low. The purpose of the project study was to research secondary teachers’ instructional strategies for writing instruction and their classroom experiences as they implemented an online writing program and a supplementary 6+1 Traits of Writing program. This project study was framed by the constructivist approach to learning and the seminal research of Applebee and Langer …

Primary Grade Students’ Achievement Given Differentiated Process Writing Instruction In A Summer Learning Program, Kathleen F. Clark, Karen S. Evans, Christine M. Reinders, Kathleen A. O'Dell

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

Struggling writers often need more instructional support than is present in commercially available process writing curricula. In this study, we employed a one-group, pretest–posttest design to evaluate whether 41 struggling primary grade writers who attended a university-based summer learning program would increase in writing ability, given a commercially available process writing unit differentiated to provide more support. A Teachers College Reading and Writing Project (TCRWP) unit was modified for use in the program: The content was streamlined, the volume of writing was reduced, the instructional explicitness was strengthened, increased feedback and student product goals were integrated, and the instruction was …

Teaching Writing In Primary Education (Grades 1–6) In Australia: A National Survey, Anabela De Abreu Malpique, Debora Valcan, Deborah Pino-Pasternak, Susan Ledger

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Providing adequate writing instruction and practice in schools is an essential cornerstone of writing development and it affords a diagnostic approach for teachers. But what writing instruction is being practiced in Australian primary schools? The aim of this study was to survey a sample of teachers (n = 310) about their instructional practices for writing and their preparation and self-efficacy to teach writing. The majority of the teachers surveyed indicated they allocated on average less than three hours per week for writing practice in their classrooms, with findings further showing a large variability in the frequency of writing practice ranging …

Self-Regulation In Early Writing Strategy Instruction, Perry Klein, Ashley Bildfell, Jill D. Dombroski, Christine Giese, Kristen Wing-Yan Sha, Serena C. Thompson

Education Publications

No abstract provided.

The Power Of Story In Developing A Cycle Of Efficacy For Teachers And Students, Melissa Renee Ewing

Theses and Dissertations

There is scarce nationwide evidence of the impact of instruction on student achievement in the area of writing (Coker et al., 2018; Persky et al., 2003; National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2002). Standardized writing assessment has shifted to text-dependent analysis, which requires students to read and analyze a passage and then compose an essay in response to a text dependent prompt. This type of writing requires students to understand how and why authors make decisions and then support a claim with analysis. This multiple-case, action research study followed three elementary teachers as they reflected on a journey resulting in transformation …

Exploring The Impact Of Social Emotional Learning To Support Motivation And Self-Efficacy In Text-Dependent Analysis Writing, Elizabeth N. Crocker

Theses and Dissertations

Social emotional learning has been the subject of much attention in K–12 education in recent years. In addition to self-regulation strategies such as concept mapping, using graphic organizers, and goal setting, social emotional learning includes mindfulness practices such as visualization and mindful breathing. This action research dissertation in practice explored the experiences of three academically gifted seventh-grade students in a multiple case study design to better understand how using social emotional learning strategies affected their motivation and self-efficacy for text-dependent analysis writing.

Improving Writing Instruction Through Professional Development, Katherine Irene Miller

Culminating Experience Projects

Educators have many demands placed on them that influences classroom instruction and the amount of time spent on each subject area. Teachers typically spend a large part of the day focusing on reading. However, they are less likely to spend the same amount of time on writing instruction. This project states the importance of writing instruction having an equal amount of time devoted to it as reading and should be taught in coordination with reading. It is important for students to receive quality writing instruction because it is a skill they will need to develop to become successful in post …

Writing Instruction In The Middle Grades: A Cross-Cultural Inquiry Of Teacher Perceptions And Practices In South Korea And The United States, Carrie Eunyoung Hong, Geon-Ah Choi

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

Despite its importance in promoting student academic achievement and career development, writing pedagogy has received little emphasis in research and professional development efforts. The purpose of this study was to examine teacher perceptions and practices of writing in the middle grades from a cross-cultural perspective. 16 middle-grade teachers from South Korea and one state within the United States were recruited for a semi-structured interview. Transcripts of the interview responses were analyzed, using a constant comparison method. The findings showed that teachers’ instructional practices in writing were contextualized with their personal and professional knowledge and experiences. Country specific patterns were found …

Essential Or Optional? Effects Of Creative Writing On Expository Skills And Attitude In Middle School Students, Nicole Samuelson

ELAIA

Background: Although emotional benefits and general writing improvement have been shown to be benefits of creative writing, its effectiveness in relation to expository writing skills has not been clearly established through research. Methods: This study was conducted with two groups of middle school students at a rural middle school in Illinois. One group received ten creative writing interventions over a month and the other group continued with normal instruction. The goal was to discover if these interventions would improve students’ expository writing skills as well as their attitude towards and confidence in writing. Results: The data showed that although …

Collaborative Writing With Young Multilingual Learners, Loren D. Jones, Luciana C. De Oliveira

Journal of English Learner Education

Effectively teaching writing to multilingual learners (MLs) has been identified as one of the most prominent challenges currently facing educators. Collaborative writing has been identified as one promising pedagogical practice that responds to this challenge; however, little of the existing research focuses on the elementary level. This study seeks to address this gap in the literature, describing a design-based research study focused on collaborative writing with MLs in a diverse first-grade classroom. This paper showcases two iterations of collaborative writing, closely examining the how-to and opinion texts that two focal MLs produced with their peers. The evaluation of students’ writing …

A Multiple Case Study: Exploration Of The Writing Instruction Practices Of Veteran High School English Teachers, Victoria Lindemann

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The gift of literacy can be the greatest equalizer in a society or used as a weapon to marginalize. As writing instructors, it should be our job to help our students find their voice – to give voice to the voiceless (Friere, 1970). More research must uncover the influences beyond the classroom and how those influences inform veteran teachers’ decisions about their writing practices and instructional designs, specifically on how teachers engage students in writing. It is the writing of our thoughts and ideas that shares a piece of ourselves with the world around us.This study explored how experienced English …

Quickwrites And The Quest To Reverse Writing Reluctance, Jenna Dunn

Honors Projects

Current research suggests that students’ enjoyment of writing will positively impact their writing achievement (Graham, 2007; Bulut, 2017). Given this trend, the following study explores the extent to which quickwriting, a teaching strategy developed extensively by Linda Rief (2003, 2018) as well as Donald Graves & Penny Kittle (2005), impacts the attitudes of reluctant writers. A total of nineteen eleventh-grade students were interviewed in three focus groups. All of the students within the study experienced three weeks of regular classroom quickwriting along with one week of a quickwriting extension workshop prior to participation in the focus groups. Students were asked …

The Critical Workshop: Writing Revision And Critical Pedagogy In The Middle School Classroom, Andrea R. Griswold

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation addresses the question of whether focusing on revision in writing instruction can be a form of critical pedagogy in middle school classrooms. Building on the work of A. Suresh Canagarajah, Lisa Delpit, Paulo Freire, Henry Giroux, Kay Halasek, Joseph Harris, Amy Lee, Timothy Lensmire, Min-Zhan Lu, Peter McLaren, Richard Ohmann, Ira Shor, and others, I explore and challenge commonly held attitudes about revision and language, primarily that the goal of revision is to correct errors and that language and its conventions should be thought of in terms of correctness. I explore the ways in which traditional writing workshops …

An Honorary Team Member: The Role Of A Literacy Coach In Supporting Writing Teachers, Macie Kerbs

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

When teachers collaborate around student writing with the support of a literacy coach, their practice becomes more intentional, and their students grow as writers. The aim of this study was to explore writing teachers’ language and practice as they engaged in a professional learning community around a single unit of study for poetry writing with the support from a coach. The findings reveal a recursive process of collaborative professional learning that includes the following phases: assess, analyze, teach, reflect, adjust. Through job-embedded coaching combined with the structure of a Professional Learning Community (PLC), teachers acted more agentively in their planning, …

Criticism, Praise, And The Red Pen: The Role Of Elementary School Teachers On The Enduring Efficacy Of Writing Instructors, Julie Kimble

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

A teacher’s own early experiences with writing, whether positive or negative, have a significant effect on the students that they teach, especially those who go on to become teachers. In a graduate education and reading program at a public university in the southern United States, we ask our teachers through a writing biography assignment to explore these memories of their earliest writing experiences and determine how those experiences fit into their current teaching careers. For this qualitative project, the researcher analyzed essays that were submitted for a “Writing Autobiography” assignment for this graduate level writing class for educators. This study …