Using Action Research To Empower North Carolina Educators A Race to the Top Initiative NC Department of Public Instruction Educator Effectiveness Division

Does Direct Skill - Based Written Instruction Improve Written Comprehension Skills? Sonya Vannoy Ashe County Schools Westwood

What is Action Research? Systematic inquiry conducted by teachers and other educators to find solutions for critical, challenging, relevant issues in their classrooms and schools. Mills, Geoffrey E, Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher, 2014

What is Action Research? Main Goals Include: Positively impact student outcomes Identify and promote effective instructional practices Create opportunities for teachers to become reflective practitioners Share research results with other educators Mills, Geoffrey E, Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher, 2014

What is Action Research? A systematic research process to: ● Identify an area of focus (critical, challenging issue) ● Develop an action research plan ● Implement action research plan in classroom/school ● Collect, analyze, and interpret data ● Share findings to inform practice Mills, Geoffrey E, Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher, 2014

How Did I Choose My Research Project? Brainstormed with K-3 teachers at my school All agreed that we needed help with Reading 3D assessments

Does Direct Skill - Based Written Instruction Improve Written Comprehension Skills? How is written comprehension affecting our Reading 3D TRC scores? Seemed that too many students were being held back by their writing scores This research impacts all K-3 teachers in NC Students TRC scores should be positively impacted by this research

Problems of Practice Answer Garden

What Does Peer-Reviewed Research say about my focus area? Experimental Study on the Impact of the 6+1 Trait Writing Model on Student Achievement in Writing. July 1,

What Does Peer-Reviewed Research say about my focus area? What Makes Writing Good? An Essential Question for Teachers. The Reading Teacher, 64,

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Collect Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Focus Statement Improving writing about reading in 3 rd grade using the Six Traits of Writing model

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Collect Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Purpose of the Study To help third grade students increase their written comprehension abilities.

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Collect Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Study Participants A class of third grade students.

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Collect Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Research Questions Does targeted, skill based writing instruction improve written comprehension skills? What are the key vocabulary terms in the TRC question stems that students need to be able to understand?

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Collect Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Innovation/Intervention The BOY TRC assessment data was analyzed to determine the traits of writing in which the students needed the most instruction.

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Collect Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Innovation/Intervention Students were introduced to the Reading 3D writing rubric that teachers use to assess their writing. Students then participated in a mock writing assessment. Students scored their own work as well as their peers.

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Collect Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Innovation/Intervention The following writing traits were found to be the weakest: Organization Sentence Fluency Word Choice

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Collect Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Implementation in the Classroom ORGANIZATION Read various picture books to look at how authors organize their writing. Pumpkin Writing Activity ABC Book Activity

Football ABC Book Brainstorming

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Collect Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Implementation in the Classroom SENTENCE FLUENCY Read various picture books to look at how authors use sentence fluency when they write their books. Activities from the 6+1 Traits of Writing Activity Book

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Collect Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Implementation in the Classroom WORD CHOICE Read various picture books to look at how authors use word choice when they write sentences. Sentence beginnings, quotations, sound words, asking a question or developing a sense of mystery

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Collect Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Implementation in the Classroom PRACTICE WRITING PROMPTS Readworks Passages Progress Monitoring Books

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Data Collected Data was collected through the Reading TRC assessment. Writing samples from BOY and MOY were analyzed.

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Data Collected Results:

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Data Collected Student 8 Low performing student Receives Corrective Reading Instruction Intervention did not seem to make a difference

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Data Collected

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Data Collected

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Data Collected Student 13 Low performing student Receives Corrective Reading Instruction Intervention made a huge difference

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Data Collected

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Data Collected

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Collect Data Findings At the BOY there were 13 students who were not able to progress to the next book level due to their writing score. MOY there were 5 students who were not able to progress to the next book level due to their writing score.

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Collect Data Findings

Make Knowledge Public Analyze/Interpret Data Innovation/Intervention Action Research Plan Collect Data Recommendations Based on the results of this study, I would recommend teachers try this approach to teaching writing in their classroom.

References Bellamy, Peter, and Ruth Culham. Picture Books: An Annotated Bibliography with Activities for Teaching Writing with the 6 1 Trait Writing Model. Portland, Or.: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, Kozlow, M., & Bellamy, P. (2004, December 1). Experimental Study on the Impact of the 6+1 Trait Writing Model on Student Achievement in Writing.. Retrieved July 1, 2014, from study-impact-61-trait%C2%AE-writing-model-student- achievement-writing

References Kozlow, M., & Bellamy, P. (2004, December 1). Experimental Study on the Impact of the 6+1 Trait Writing Model on Student Achievement in Writing.. Retrieved July 1, 2014, from study-impact-61-trait%C2%AE-writing-model-student- achievement-writing Nauman, A. D., Stirling, T., & Borthwick, A. What Makes Writing Good? An Essential Question for Teachers. The Reading Teacher, 64,

Conclusion of Presentation Thank you for your participation. Contact Information: Name: Sonya Vannoy School/District: Westwood Elementary/Ashe Phone: Website: out+the+Project

Discussion Would this work in your classroom? At your school? Are there other writing interventions that you have tried in your classroom? What would be the next steps?

Questions Burning Questions??????