This study took place in the context of schools collaborating with a local university to implement an evidence-based, 3-tiered model of prevention and supports targeting academic, behavioral, and social goals. We examined whether Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) instruction, delivered by grade 2 and 3 general education teachers to all…

This study examined whether discourse knowledge about various forms of writing predicted young developing writers' (Grade 2 and Grade 4 students) story writing performance once 4 writing (handwriting fluency, spelling, attitude toward writing, advanced planning) and 3 nonwriting (grade, gender, basic reading skills) variables were controlled. It…

This study tested three models of the structural relationship between the writing achievement of primary grade students and their attitude towards writing (defined here as an affective disposition involving how the act of writing makes the author feel, ranging from happy to unhappy). The three models tested were: (a) writing attitude influences…

Provides a variety of general guidelines for developing an effective spelling program. Argues that at a minimum, teachers should ensure that spelling instruction for a particular student is comprehensive, individualized, and based on a foundation of research evidence. (RH)

First graders at risk for handwriting problems (n=144) were assigned to 1 of 6 treatment conditions, including handwriting instruction and phonological awareness training. Converging evidence across multiple measures shows that combining numbered arrows and memory retrieval was the most effective treatment for improving both handwriting and…

Multiple-group structural equation modeling was used to analyze structural relationships between latent factors underlying measures of handwriting, spelling, and composing for students in grades one through six. Results with 300 children show that the mechanical skills of writing may constrain the amount and quality of composing. (SLD)

Four different vocabulary lists based on the study of children's writing were consulted to generate a basic spelling list of 850 words. The Basic Spelling Vocabulary List provides words that children most often use when writing and that are important in beginning reading instruction. (SM)

A random sample of primary-grade teachers from across the United States was surveyed about within-class ability grouping in reading. Sixty-three percent of participants reported using within-class ability groups. Groups are smaller and more flexible than those formed in the past, with teachers emphasizing teaching comprehension, reading…

Examined the relationship between handwriting style and handwriting speed and legibility. Analysis of three writing samples (narrative, expository, and copying) from 600 fourth to ninth graders indicated that students who used a combination of manuscript and cursive letters were the most fluent handwriters. Papers written with mixed letters…

Students are often asked to write reports for science, history, and other content-area classes. Struggling writers and many of their classmates are unsure about how to plan and write reports. This article presents a strategy for planning and writing reports and describes how a general and special education teacher team-taught this strategy to a…

Describes Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD), cognitive strategy instructional approach in which students are taught task-specific strategies along with more general strategies for regulating strategy use and learning process. Focuses on how this approach has been used to help students with learning problems develop as writers. Explains…

In this study, we examined whether early, supplemental strategy instruction in planning helped ameliorate writing difficulties. Second-grade students experiencing difficulty learning to write were taught a strategy for planning and writing stories. Learning to use the strategy had a positive effect on writing, as students' stories became more…

The role of executive control in the revising difficulties of 12 fifth and sixth graders with writing and learning problems was studied. Procedural support made revising easier for participating students, but their difficulties were not due solely to difficulties with executive control. Implications for instruction are discussed. (SLD)

The effects of a revising goal to "add information" on revising behavior and writing performance were examined for 70 5th and 6th graders. Students assigned the goal made more meaning-based changes and produced improved text quality. Procedural assistance did not appreciably enhance revising behavior or text quality. (SLD)

Effects on quantity and quality of student compositions of mechanical interference, rate of production, and contentless production signals to write more were studied for 24 learning-disabled (LD) fourth and sixth graders. Results indicate that LD students' writing problems are partly a result of difficulties with mechanics and sustaining…