Development of Early Writing Interventions

MO-CASE 9/28/15

Purpose

• Developed as part of 3-year project to develop:– Data-Based Instruction (DBI) for beginning writers– Tools, Learning, and Collaborative support (TLC) for

teachers• “Tools” include:– Assessments (CBM and diagnostic tools)– Research-based writing interventions– Systematic data-based decision-making procedures

Theoretical Framework Guiding Early Intervention Development

Text Generation

Transcription

Constrained by Attention and Memory

Self Regulation

Simple View of Writing (Berninger & Amtmann, 2003)

Simple View of Writing (Berninger & Amtmann, 2003)

• Turning ideas into text. Includes: • idea

generation • word choice • content• text structure • genre

Text Generation

Transcription

Constrained by Attention

and Memory

Self Regulation

Translating sounds, words, sentences, and passages into print. Includes: • handwriting or

typing• spelling• mechanics

What writers do to meet their writing goals. Includes: • goal setting • planning • organizing • self-monitoring • self-evaluating • revising• self-rewarding

Questions Guiding the Synthesis

• What research-based early writing interventions are available in the areas of:– Transcription?– Text generation?– Self-regulation?

• To what extent are these interventions effective for beginning writers?

• What is the quality of the research?

Questions to Consider for Teachers:

• What skills and sub-skills must the student develop now to be successful in writing?

• How do those skills and sub-skills align with the Simple View of Writing?

• How do those skills and sub-skills align with Common Core State Standards (CCSS)?

Method

• Literature Search– Recent syntheses • Datchuk & Kubina (2012)• Graham, McKeown, Kiuhara, & Harris (2012)• Jung (2013)

– Four electronic databases (Academic Search Premiere, PsycInfo, Education Full Text, ERIC)

– Combined terms related to writing difficulties or disabilities, writing composition, handwriting, spelling, text generation, and self-regulation

Method

• 32 studies (28 articles) met these criteria:– Examined writing intervention – Included students in Grades K-3 identified as at-

risk in writing or with disabilities– Measured writing composition in terms of length

or quality– Used experimental, quasi-experimental, or single-

case designs – Published in English in a peer-reviewed journal

Method

• Summarized each study• Determined Effect Sizes – Group: Cohen’s d – Single Subject: Percentage Non-Overlapping Data

• Evaluated quality using Quality Indicators– Group: Gersten et al. (2005)– Single Subject: Horner et al. (2005)

ResultsTranscription Text

GenerationSelf-

RegulationTotal

Study Design N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%)

Group 16 (84%) 0 4 (40%) 20 (62%)

Single Subject 3 (16%) 3 (100%) 6 (60%) 12 (38%)

Total 19 3 10 32

Grade Level

1 8 (42%) 1 (33%) 0 9 (6%)

2 5 (26%) 2 (67%) 7 (70%) 14 (44%)

3 6 (32%) 0 3 (30%) 9 (6%)

Interventionist

Research staff 15 (79%) 1 (33%) 9 (90%) 25 (78%)

School staff 3 (16%) 2 (67%) 1 (10%) 6 (19%)

Not described 1 (5%) 0 0 1 (3%)

Results: Transcription

• 19 studies (16 group, 3 single subject)• Instructional focus:

– Phonemic awareness and alphabet warm-up activities– Visual modeling of letter formation– Practice of letter formation from models and memory– Segmenting/sorting words based on letter/sound patterns– Repeated spelling practice

• Frequency/duration:– 10-60 min sessions – 2-4x per week– 8-48 sessions total

Results: Transcription Type of Outcome Group Design Single Subject DesignHandwriting ES = 1.04 --Spelling ES = .59 to .96 PND = 60%-100%Capitalization -- PND = 50% - 80% Writing fluency ES = .74 to .96 PND = 84%Composition ES = -.13 to .95 --

Quality:• 41%-100% of QIs met • Two studies (Graham et al., 2000, 2002) met 100%

Results: Text Generation

• 3 studies (all single subject)• Instructional focus:– Sentence combining– Sentence elaboration– Sentence fluency

• Frequency/duration– 14-30 sessions– 20-60 min

Results: Text GenerationType of Outcome Single Subject DesignSentence elaboration PND = 33%-100%Writing fluency PND = 77%-100%Composition quantity (# of sentences PND = 58%-82%

Quality:• 47%-100% of QIs met • One study met 100% (Parker et al., 2012)

Results: Self-Regulation

• 10 studies (4 group design, 6 single subject)• Instructional components:– Specific Writing Strategies (e.g., POW, TREE, WWW,

What=2, How=2)– Five Stages: Background, Discuss, Model, Support,

Independent Practice• Frequency/Duration: – 3-4x per week– 20-45 min– 6-25 sessions total

Results: Self-RegulationType of Outcome Group Design Single Subject DesignNumber of story elements ES = .55 to 4.20 PND = 67% - 100%Composition Quality ES = .85 to 1.12 PND = 75% - 100%Compositional Quantity ES = .80 to 2.71 PND = 75% - 100%

Quality:• 76%-100% of QIs met• 3 studies met 100% (Dunn, 2013; Lane et al., 2010, 2011)

Findings Indicate:

• Promising evidence of early writing interventions for improving student outcomes in transcription, text generation, and self-regulation

• Further, high-quality research is needed:– Kindergarten– Text generation– School staff as interventionist

How are we using these results?

• Writing intervention toolkit for teachers– Summary of research-based interventions– Highest quality studies with positive evidence:• Diagnostic Checklists and Instructional Alignment Tool• Writing Intervention Plans (WIPs)• Skills-based mini-lessons

Summary of Research-Based Interventions

Diagnostic Checklist

Diagnostic Checklist

Instructional Alignment Tool

Skill-Based Mini Lessons

• Every mini lesson contains the following components:– Common Core Standards Addressed– Objective– Materials– Content (Suggested Scope and Sequence)– Discontinue Rule– Procedures– Error Correction– Options for Additional Practice– Fidelity Check

Skills-Based Mini-Lessons• Transcription

– TR1: Phonics Warm-Up– TR2: Alphabet Practice– TR3: Word Building– TR4: Wordy Study– TR5: Alphabet Rockets– TR6: Word Sort

• Text Generation– TG1.1-1.3: Sentence Construction– TG2: Sentence Combining– TG3: Repeated Writing– TG4: Writing Goals– TG5: Writing Prompt

• Self Regulation– Use Powerful Writing Strategies

(Harris Graham, Mason, & Friedlander)

Sample Text-Generation Mini-Lesson

Writing Intervention Plans

Summary

• Early writing interventions do exist!• Early writing interventions can improve

writing outcomes.• We are using findings of this research to

provide tools for teachers to implement research-based interventions within a DBI framework.