ERIC Number: EJ845961
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1045-988X
EISSN: N/A
Helping Students to Add Detail and Flair to Their Stories
Patel, Pooja; Laud, Leslie
Preventing School Failure, v54 n1 p2-10 Fall 2009
This action research case study measured the effectiveness of a writing strategy designed to enhance imagery in stories that 3 students with severe writing difficulties (2 were identified as learning disabled, 1 was undergoing assessment) produced during their resource room sessions. The authors combined the use of the self-regulated strategy development approach with N. Bell's (1991b) visualizing and verbalizing (V&V) structure words to elicit greater detail in student writing. Although Bell designed V&V to be a reading comprehension technique, results showed that it can enhance student writing when used to support students in articulating their self-created images for stories they write. Of 3 students, 2 made marked improvements, according to measures that included length, number of story elements included, number of images, and a holistic rating of overall writing quality. The holistic rating of the student who did not make marked improvements remained the same; her mechanics score decreased by 1 point, and her organization score remained steady. Further editing instruction may have raised these scores because that was the area in which all 3 students showed the least improvement. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Writing Difficulties, Reading Comprehension, Story Grammar, Writing Strategies, Action Research, Case Studies, Middle School Students, Learning Disabilities, Grade 7, Private Schools, Models, Teaching Methods
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 7; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A