The relationship of discourse and topic knowledge to fifth graders’ writing performance.

Abstract

This study examined whether discourse and topic knowledge separately predicted the overall quality and the inclusion of basic genre elements in 5th grade students' stories, persuasive papers, and informational text once the other type of knowledge as well as topic interest, spelling, handwriting fluency, length of text, and gender were controlled. Fifty students (25 girls, 25 boys) wrote a story, persuasive paper, and informative text about outer space. In addition, students' discourse knowledge, knowledge about the writing topic, interest in the topic, and handwriting fluency were measured. Discourse knowledge made a unique and statistically significant contribution to the prediction of the quality and inclusion of genre-specific elements in story, persuasive, and informational writing beyond topic knowledge and 5 control variables (i.e" gender, topic interest, handwriting fluency, spelling accuracy, and text length). Topic knowledge also predicted story, persuasive, and infor mational writing quality beyond discourse knowledge and the 5 control variables. Further, topic knowledge predicted the inclusion of genre-specific elements in informational text. These findings supported the proposition that discourse and topic knowledge are important ingredients in children's writing and provided support for the architecture of the knowledge-telling model (Bereiter & Scardamalia, 1987).

Effets d’un entrainement perceptivo-moteur et aux orthographes approchées sur les compétences scripturales à 5 ans

“…La dimension représentationnelle caractérise le fait que chaque production d'écrit soit un indicateur des représentations de l'enfant à un moment t de son développement : elle comprend donc l'ensemble des habiletés de conscience phonologique (Caravolas, Hulme et Snowling, 2001), ses connaissances alphabétiques (Bouchière, Ponce et Foulin, 2010;Zhang et Treiman, 2015), orthographiques (Bosse, 2015) et textuelles (Olinghouse, Graham et Gillespie, 2015). Ces différentes connaissances servent donc de substrat à des changements représentationnels responsables de la progression des stratégies d'écriture favorisant le passage successif par les stratégies picturale, spatiale, sémiotique et phonographémique (Noyer et Baldy, 2002).…”

De la lecture à la production verbale écrite, et réciproquement

“…Les connaissances disponibles relativement au thème abordé sont la principale dimension ayant un effet sur la qualité et la taille des textes comme sur le mode de production : les textes, narratifs, descriptifs ou argumentatifs sont d'autant meilleurs que les connaissances préalables sont nombreuses et bien organisées en mémoire (Cacamise, 1987;Chanquoy, Foulin et Fayol, 1990;McCutchen, 1986;Olinghouse, Graham et Gillepsie, 2015). La connaissance de la structure des textes et du genre influe également.…”

The effects of genetic and environmental factors on writing development

“…However, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP; 2002, 2011; NAEP is the largest nationally representative assessment of what American students know and can do in various subjects) results show that only 28% of fourth graders and 27% of eighth graders perform at or above proficient level in writing. Concerns over low levels of writing achievement in elementary and middle school, together with evidence that children with writing disabilities are at greatly enhanced risk of difficulties in reading and math (Mayes & Calhoun, 2006; Sumner, Connelly, & Barnett, 2013), have motivated a large body of work to identify the sources of individual variability in writing (Abbott & Berninger, 1993; Arfe, Dockrell, & De Bernardi, 2016; Babayigit, 2014; Berninger et al, 1992, 2002; Graham, Berninger, Abbott, Abbott, & Whitaker, 1997; Graham, McKeown, Kiuhara, & Harris, 2012; Kim et al, 2011; Kim, Al Otaiba, Folsom, Greulich, & Puranik, 2014; Kim, Al Otaiba, Wanzek, & Gatlin, 2015; Kim, Park, & Park, 2013; Limpo & Alves, 2013; Olinghouse, 2008; Olinghouse, Graham, & Gillespie, 2015). One line of research that would further clarify variability in writing in elementary and middle school is investigating the etiological (genetic and environmental) factors associated with individual differences in writing.…”