A Survey of the Instructional Practices of Grade 5 Teachers Nominated as Effective in Promoting Literacy

Pressley, Michael; Yokoi, Linda; Rankin, Joan L.; Wharton‐McDonald, Ruth; Mistretta, Jennifer

doi:10.1207/s1532799xssr0102_3

Cited by 41 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Although establishing high expectations for struggling writers is critical, highly effective writing teachers recognize that these goals will be realized only through their subsequent pedagogy; thus, you might say tbat highly effective writing teachers establish concurrent higb expectations for tbeir students and themselves (Dentón et al, 2003;Pressley et al, 2004;Pressley, Yokoi, Rankin, Wharton-McDonald, & Mistretta, 1997;Taylor et al, 2000). Driven by a "no excuses" pbilosophy, highly effective writing teachers vigorously and relentlessly pursue their goal of ensuring success for every student, especially those who are having difficulties.…”

Section: High Expectationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Highly effective writing teachers recognize the many benefits of creating a collaborative community of writers, especially for struggling writers (e.g., Bruning & Horn, 2000;Pressley et al, 1997;Pritchard & Honeycutt, 2006. Embedding writing within a social context enhances students' motivation because they authentically experience, and thus come to appreciate, its communicative purposes (Hidi & Boscolo, 2006).…”

Section: Collaborative Community Of Writersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Highly effective writing teachers understand that facilitating peer support is also fundamental to a collaborative community of writers (Bruning & Horn, 2000;Graham & Harris, 2005;Pressley et al, 1997Pressley et al, , 2001). This often begins with an inquiry and discussion of the importance of recognizing classmates' writing eftbrts and accomplishments and how this can be done effectively.…”

Section: Collaborative Community Of Writersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to developing relationships with students, highly effective writing teachers frequently use encouragement and reinforcement to create a positive, supportive climate for struggling writers (Pressley et al, 1997(Pressley et al, , 2006. To be sure, they devote as much, if not more, energy to offer thoughtful, specific positive feedback (e.g., "I'm extremely impressed with how you included details to support that idea..." and "I really like how you took a risk by...") than they do to identify errors and explain areas for improvement (Bruning & Horn, 2000).…”

Section: Positive and Supportive Climatementioning

confidence: 99%

“…attitude (Graham & Harris, 2005;Pajares & Vahante, 2006;Pressley et al, 1997Pressley et al, , 2001Pressley et al, , 2004. This is achieved by reinforcing students consistently for putting forth their best effort (e.g., "Give yourself a pat on the back for working so hard on this story!…”

Section: Positive and Supportive Climatementioning

confidence: 99%

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Effective Writing Instruction for Students Who Have Writing Difficulties

Santangelo¹,

Olinghouse²

2009

focusXchild

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Writing well is not just an option for young people-it is a necessity. Along with reading comprehension, writing skill is a predictor of academic success and a basic requirement for participation in civic life and in the global economy. Yet every year in the United States large numbers of adolescents graduate from high school unable to write at the basic levels required by colleges or employers.... Because the definition of literacy includes both reading and writing skills, poor writing proficiency should be recognized as an intrinsic part of this national literacy crisis. (Graham & Perin, 2007b, p. 3) As Graham and Perin (2007b) assert, the ability to compose represents a fundamental and essential competency for children and adults alike. Writing is one of the most powerful tools we have for learning and for demonstrating what we know. Therefore, difficulties with writing create significant barriers in education, employment, and other life pursuits (Graham, 2006b).Despite the importance of writing, assessment data indicate that we are not yet highly effective at helping students gain the critical knowledge and skills required for competent narrative, expository, and persuasive prose. For example, according to the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), only 33% of eighth graders and 24% of 12th-graders were classified as proficient writers (Salahu-Din, Persky, & Miller, 2008). The NAEP data further documented that students with disabilities are at particularly high risk for writing difficulties, as the percentage of eighth-and 12th-grade students with disabilities classified as "proficient" writers was 6% and 5%, respectively (see , for a review of research related to writing difficulties among students with disabilities).In this article, we offer a synthesis of contemporary qualitative and quantitative research related to one of the most critical elements vis-à-vis improving struggling writers' performance: effective writing instruction. To facilitate understanding and implementation of the findings from what is, ináeed, a substantial body of literature, we have organized our discussion into four overarching recommendations:1. Establish the context for effective writing instruction. 2. Use research-based instructional methods and practices. 3. Teach writing strategies. 4. Teach word-, sentence-, and paragraph-level skills.

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Section: High Expectationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Collaborative Community Of Writersmentioning

confidence: 99%