Strategy Instruction in Writing for Struggling Writers

1. Strategy Instruction in Writingfor Struggling Writers Charles MacArthur University of Delaware

2. Strategy Instruction Research has demonstrated that well designed strategy instruction can produce substantial gains in writing quality for struggling writers. Well designed strategy instruction teaches specific strategies for planning and revising strategies as well self-regulation strategies. Staff development and wide scale implementation are significant challenges.

3. Research foundations Cognitive models of expert and developing writers Research on self-regulation, e.g., goal-setting, self-evaluation, self-efficacy Research on strategy instruction in general - direct explanation, modeling, guided practice

4. Proficient writers Planning Set goals and subgoals based on audience and task Generate content Organize using knowledge of text structure Production Generate sentences - language Transcription - mechanics

5. Proficient writers (cont.) Revision Evaluate using extensive criteria Develop ideas Extensive self-regulation Select and monitor strategies Productivity

6. Struggling Writers Minimal planning Little thought of audience or purpose or goals Difficulty generating ideas Limited knowledge about organization Problems with mechanics & language

7. Struggling writers (cont.) Minimal revising Poor reading skills Limited knowledge of evaluation Difficulty fixing problems Focus on mechanics Poor self-regulation - Difficulty coordinating what they do know

8. We can: Teach specific strategies for planning and revising based on what good writers do Teach students to self-regulate Set goals Cope with difficulties Self-evaluate Improve their writing

9. Examples:Task-specific strategies Planning strategies based on text structure Revising strategies based on evaluation criteria

10. Importance of text structure Good writers use knowledge of text structure or genre to plan Connected to purpose for writing Helps to generate content Helps to organize paper Helps with self-evaluation

11. A Planning Strategy for Persuasive Writing -- (TREE) THINK: Who? Why? PLAN T -- Topic sentence R -- Reasons E -- Examine reasons E -- Ending Write and say more

12. Planning Stories THINK: Who? Why? PLAN C - Characters S � Setting P � Problem A � Action C � Conclusion E � Emotion Write and say more

13. Story map

14. Compare-contrast

15. Importance of self-evaluation Research shows that teaching evaluation criteria along with revision is effective Align self-evaluation, teacher evaluation, and accountability assessments Analytic scales like 6-Traits Genre-specific evaluation scales Teach peer revising strategies

16. Self-evaluation for persuasive writing -- genre specific Did I state my position clearly? 1 2 3 Is my first reason clear and supported by details? 1 2 3 Is my second reason clear and . . . 1 2 3 Is my third reason clear and . . . 1 2 3 Did I summarize my reasons at the end? 1 2 3 Is my essay persuasive? 1 2 3 How can I improve my next essay?

17. Peer revising strategy LISTEN as partner reads TELL what you liked best READ and ask questions Topic? Is the opinion clear? Reasons? Is each reason clear and related to the opinion? Support? Is each reason supported with details? Ending? Is there a summary? DISCUSS your suggestions Author makes changes

18. Peer revising -- Stories LISTEN as partner reads TELL what you liked best READ and ask questions Characters? Are they clearly described? Problem? How is it resolved? Emotion? Does it show how characters feel? DISCUSS your suggestions Author makes changes

19. Effective strategy instruction Meaningful writing in a social context Direct explanation and modeling Self-regulation strategies Self-statements Self-evaluation Goal setting Extensive guided practice Mastery learning Generalization Motivation

20. Self-regulated Strategic Writers Set goals Purposes for writing Motivation Select strategies Planning & revising Know why and when Monitor progress Am I using the strategy? Is my writing improving?

21. Research Meta-analysis of 39 studies (Graham, in press) Effect size for quality - 1.25 (very large effect). Cf. ES=.44 for best method in Hillocks� 1984 analysis. PND - 89% (very large effect) Most studies used LD (64%), LA (23%), or avg. (23%) with few good (10%), but all large effects Planning - revising; elem - sec; narr - expos. All large effects Effective in classrooms and in tutoring SRSD model more effective than others (ES 1.6 vs. 0.9)

22. Implementation Issues Teach a few strategies intensively Coordinate across teachers, grades, subjects Compatible with process approaches that emphasize social context Works in combination with content area instruction Fits into a curriculum based on genre or purposes for writing (e.g., to persuade)

23. Challenges Getting from single strategies to strategic learners is a long term process Demanding approach for teachers Explicit explanation and modeling Appropriate support Evaluation of strategy use and results Teaching to individual mastery in a group setting Demands on schools Coordinated approach across classes and grades Little research on large-scale implementation or staff development