No abstract

Early writing skills are among the strongest predictors of later reading and writing achievement; however, these crucial skills are often neglected in early childhood classrooms. In this article, we present a systematic, quantitative content analysis of early learning standards (for ages 3-5) in states that were using the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts at the time of analysis. We identified 458 discrete early learning writing standards across 42 states, the District of Columbia, and Head Start (publication dates ranged from 2004 to 2018). We coded standards for the domains of writing skills addressed (transcription, composition, and/or writing concepts) in two stages, human coding and computer-assisted coding, and we coded some standards as addressing multiple domains. Results indicated that more than half (53.7%) of early writing standards addressed transcription. Composition was addressed in 38.4% of the standards and writing concepts in 26.6%. Within the transcription category, 95.4% of the standards addressed handwriting, and only 12.3% addressed spelling. More standards addressed handwriting specifically than all composition skills combined. The early learning standards across states varied considerably in how well they aligned with the Common Core for the early elementary grades (K-2). Early childhood standards rarely asked young children to create their own texts, whereas the Common Core includes expectations for composing in multiple genres. Early learning standards provided little guidance for comprehensive writing instruction that integrates writing skills across domains, and indicated potential misalignment in how writing is conceptualized and taught in preschool and elementary contexts. Early writing skills are among the strongest predictors of later reading and writing achievement (Aram, 2005;Kim, Al Otaiba, & Wanzek, 2015; National Early Literacy Panel, 2008). Even after controlling for socioeconomic and home literacy factors, differences in early writing skills tend to be stable over time, such that children who begin at a disadvantage are unlikely to catch up to peers who begin with stronger writing skills (Abbott, Berninger, & Fayol, 2010). Unfortunately, national test results have indicated that 72% of fourth graders and 76% of eighth and 12th graders do not achieve the proficient level in writing (Malkus, 2014;Persky, Daane, & Jin, 2003;Salahu-Din, Persky, & Miller, 2008). The genesis of writing skills in early childhood and the relative stability of early performance to later achievement highlight the need to develop sensitive and comprehensive approaches, guided by learning standards, to supporting children's writing across this period.Conceptualizations of writing in early childhood have clear implications for how early writing is supported and measured in classroom contexts (Ng,

No abstract

No abstract

Purpose Young children often enter formal schooling with a range of digital experiences, including using apps on tablets and engaging with interactive educational toys. The convergence and increased accessibility of digital resources has made it more convenient for young children to navigate multiple modes (e.g. words, images, sound and movement) as they construct meaning across many different texts. The purpose of the study is to examine affordances and choices when students compose multimodal texts. Design/methodology/approach Three lines of inquiry support this study: the social construction of writing practices, multiliteracies and multimodality and intertextuality. Data analysis used an iterative two-tiered process of reading, rereading and coding students’ multimodal compositions and supplemental field notes (Creswell, 1998; Strauss and Corbin, 1998). Findings Analysis of the 23 multimodal compositions revealed three significant findings related to choice and affordances of multimodal texts: the popularity of Minecraft as a topic choice based on the social interactions of students; semiotic concurrence and semiotic complementarity and sophisticated use of literary techniques (e.g. nonlinear structures, shifting point of view, asides and emojis) across the multimodal stories, particularly those that carried Minecraft themes. Originality/value Students’ intentionality with the modes in their compositions suggested they were fully aware of the “complexity, interrelatedness and interdependence between image [animation and sound] and language” (Shanahan, 2013, p. 213).