Researchers investigated the influence that perceived choice of music would have on student writing productivity. Participants included 2 fourth-grade classes in Louisa and Madison Counties, Virginia, for a total of 32 students. A survey was used to determine participants' preferences of music. A quasi-experimental design was utilized to…

In a study of children's production of narratives written in collaboration with a friend, with an acquaintance (nonfriend), or in an individual performance, a total of 64 fourth graders were asked to write stories over a 2-week period. The study was designed to address two questions: (1) How does the friendship relationship affect stories written…

This report describes a program for improving writing skills through choices of structured and unstructured writing process. The purpose of this program is to increase their ability to produce quality writing as measured by the district's fourth grade writing rubric. The targeted population consisted of an average fourth grade class, located in a…

A study investigated the relationship between beliefs and attitudes toward reading and writing, and the effect of personal journal writing on attitudes and beliefs. Subjects, four intact classes of 95 fourth-grade students enrolled in two public schools in a southeastern metropolitan area, were randomly selected to participate in the study. In…

This report describes a program for motivating reluctant writers. The targeted population consisted of one fourth-grade and four fifth-grade classrooms in three elementary schools. All three schools were located in the western suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. The problems of reluctant writers were documented with timed writing samples, student and…

A study investigated the effectiveness of a method for improving the writing skills and attitude through increased writing experiences. The targeted population consisted of second-, third-, and fourth-grade students in two adjacent, stable, middle-class suburban communities northwest of Chicago, Illinois. The lack of skills and motivation of…

A 7 month study evaluated a parent education program designed to inform parents of second- and fourth-graders about the writing process and the teaching of writing. A secondary goal was to evaluate the effect of teaching writing as a process upon the children's attitudes toward writing. The participants (37 parents, 15 second-graders, and 17…