NASHVILLE, Tenn.--New research from Vanderbilt University's Peabody Collegeoffers guidance for teachers to help them improve writing instruction in theprimary grades and develop stronger student writers.
The two new studies by Steve Graham, professor and Curry Ingram Chair inSpecial Education, were recently published in the Journal of EducationalPsychology.
"The primary purpose of both articles is to inform teachers about writingpractices that work with a wide variety of students," Graham said. "We'rehoping to help give teachers the opportunity to creatively incorporateeffective writing strategies in the classroom to improve the writing oftheir students."
The National Commission on Writing has stated that writing should be placedat the center of the school agenda.
In "A Meta-Analysis of Single Subject Design Writing Intervention Research,"Graham and Leslie Rogers, a current Vanderbilt University doctoral studentin special education, identified effective writing practices for allstudents including students who struggle within the classroom. Thisresearch focuses on the current writing practices in grades 1 through 12,including some suggestions for improvement.
"Among the more important findings is the need for students to be taught howto plan, revise and set clear and specific goals for their writing," Grahamsaid. "Students also need to be taught the skills to write clear andeffective paragraphs."
Graham's other paper, "Primary Grade Writing Instruction: A NationalSurvey," co-authored with Laura Cutler, a graduate student in SpecialEducation at the University of Maryland when the research was conducted andcurrently a teacher in Florida, provides more direct recommendations toimprove classroom writing practices.
"Primary grade teachers need to focus on increasing the time spent writing,balancing the time spent writing with the time spent learning how to write,boosting their students' motivation for writing, making computers a moreintegral part of their writing curriculum, and improving their ownpreparation for teaching writing," Graham said. "These recommendationsoffer educators the opportunity to focus on their weakest areas to improveinstruction and the quality of student writers produced in our classrooms."
Source: Vanderbilt University