Project Activities
Researchers will collect data from three cohorts of kindergarten students and their teachers, one in each year of the study. Researchers will observe kindergarten classrooms for features of writing instruction, including: frequency and amount of writing instruction; content of instruction; motivational techniques teachers use; types of writing activities; group size; and tools or technology used in instruction. The research team will assess children on emergent writing skills such as handwriting and spelling, as well as sentence writing and composition.
Structured Abstract
Setting
This study will take place in urban and suburban kindergarten classrooms in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Sample
Approximately 600 kindergarten students and their 100 teachers will participate in this research.
In this exploratory study, researchers are examining relationship between features of writing instruction and writing outcomes. Malleable factors include various features of instruction on writing including intensity, content, classroom management, motivational techniques, types of writing activities, group size, and manipulatives. Findings from the proposed study will provide critical information as researchers develop interventions intended to improve writing instruction and student writing outcomes in kindergarten.
Research design and methods
In each of the three project years, researchers will recruit kindergarten teachers and several of their students to participate in the study. The research team will observe and videotape each kindergarten classroom in the fall, winter, and spring. Researchers will also code d each observation for various features of writing instruction. Researchers will assess writing outcomes individually during non-instructional time in the fall and the spring. In addition, researchers will assess students' oral language, reading skills, behavioral regulation, fine motor skills, and writing motivation in the fall.
Control condition
Due to the nature of the research design, there is no control condition.
Key measures
Researchers will measure classroom writing instruction using the Writing Instruction Observation Scale, an assessment that was designed by the research team in previous work. Researchers will use various subscales of the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement—Third Edition (WJ-III) and researcher-developed measures to assess writing outcomes. Researchers will also use subscales of the WJ-III to assess reading skills; the Test of Language Development—Primary, fourth edition to assess oral language; the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task to assess behavioral regulation; a subtest of the Early Screening Inventory–Revised to assess fine motor skills; and the Writing Attitude Scale to assess writing motivation. Teacher logs will also supplement data from the WIOS regarding dose frequency of writing instruction.
Data analytic strategy
Researchers will use hierarchical linear modeling to examine the associations between writing instruction and writing outcomes with students nested within classrooms and classrooms nested within schools. Models will include spring writing outcomes as the dependent variable and will include fall writing outcomes as a control variable. The research team will use students' developmental skills as moderators when analyzing the data.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Project contributors
Products and publications
Products: Products include preliminary evidence of relationships between writing instruction and writing outcomes for kindergarten students. Researchers will also produce peer-reviewed publications.
ERIC Citations: Find available citations in ERIC for this award here.
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.
