1. Sharon Lindebak CI804 Wichita State University May 3, 2012
The Effect of Interactive Writing on the Development of Early Writing Skills of Preschool Students
Sharon Lindebak
CI804 Wichita State University
May 3, 2012

2. Outline of Presentation
Literature Review
Research Question
Methodology
Results
Conclusion
Discussion
References

3. Introduction
Majority of children do not write well enough to meet educational or workplace demands.
National Assessment of Educational Progress (2003)
Writing was the most neglected of the 3 R’s in the classroom.
National Commission on Writing (2003)
Researchers agree on the importance of writing instruction, but disagree about theory of writing development.
(as cited in Roth & Guinee, 2011)

4. Theories of Writing Development
Linearity Hypothesis
Sequential set of skills
Development of universal features (lines, spacing)
Followed by language-specific characteristics (directionality, symbol shapes)
Universal features as young as 3 and 4 years old
Unified Hypothesis
Universal and language-specific features develop simultaneously
No specific order
Based on experiences and meaning
Features as young 3 and 4 years old
(Puranik & Lonigan, 2009)

5. Puranik and Lonigan Study (2009)
Conceptually coherent examination of writing development
Quantified writing features
Broad range of emergent skills
Findings from over 300 preschoolers
Writing features develop sequentially
Writing proficiency was task dependent

6. Connections between phonological awareness and literacy acquisition
Two key ideas about writing
Sign—print carries meaning
Message—spoken language can be recorded as written language
Importance of “reading” pictorial representations as text
(as cited in Kissel, Hansen, Tower & Lawrence, 2011)

7. Instructional Writing Strategies
Creating a writing block
Teaching in the zone of proximal development
Scaffold writing
Use of private speech
Materialization
Assessing developmental stages
(Gentry, 2005)

8. Gentry’s Writing Scale (1977)
Started as a scale to measure developmental stages of spelling
Identifies levels of emergent writing
Focuses on specific writing elements and alphabetic principles
Five developmental stages (0-4) focusing on print awareness, understanding and application
Writing is considered “in a stage” when more than half of the invented spelling meets the stage criteria
(Gentry, 2005)

9. Research Question
What is the effect of Interactive Writing on the development of early writing skills of preschool students?

10. Methodology: Participants
14 prekindergarten students
8 girls and 6 boys
8 students qualify at-risk
6 students have IEPs
1 nonverbal student
1 ESOL student
3 students receive occupational therapy services and use an alternative writing program within the classroom

11. Methodology: Interactive Writing
Collaborative writing experience
Instruction begins with a small or large group negotiating written text with teacher
Teacher supports participation in the process and product (shared-pen)
Teacher talks through literacy concepts based on the needs of the learners
Followed by independent writing
(Roth & Guinee, 2011)

12. Methodology: Procedure
Week 1: Initial writing samples
Write or draw a story about themselves
Week 2: Interactive Writing Message
Theme-spring weather, storms, rain
Indirect themes-sentences, capital letters, writing on lines, how to make certain letters, beginning sounds
No follow-up writing sample

13. Methodology: Procedure
Week 3: Interactive Writing Message
Theme--weekend activities
Indirect themes--subject-verb agreement, counting words, directionality, punctuation, segmentation
Follow-up sample
Week 4: Interactive Writing Message
Theme--favorite things
Indirect themes--sentences, capital letters, beginning and end sounds, punctuation, segmentation

14. Methodology: Assessments
Writing Samples
Gentry’s Writing Scale (5 writing stages)
Adapted version of Gentry’s Writing Scale (8 writing stages)
Anecdotal notes taken during interactive and independent writing
Story about her family and then started coloring over her drawings
Story about a snake—used a book as a resource
A L G T E (alligator)

15. Results Initial Writing After Final Interactive Writing
Stage 2: Letter-like forms emerge, sometimes randomly placed, and are interspersed with numbers
*Children can tell about their own drawings or writings
*Spacing is rarely present
Initial Writing
Class Average—2.4
Girls’ Average—2.6
Boys’ Average—2.0
After Final Interactive Writing
Class Average—3.3
Girls’ Average—3.8
Boys’ Average—2.7
Stage 3: Strings of letters and letter-like forms
*Developing awareness of sound to symbol—not matching most sounds
*Most letters capital with no spacing
Gentry’s Writing Scale excerpt from (Gentry, 2005)

16. Gain Scores of Interactive Writing
Interactive Writing Gains
Class Average—.93
Girls’ Average --1.1
Boys’ Average --.67
Increase of 1.0 is the equivalent of one developmental writing stage

17. Conclusion Gains for 11 out of 14 participants Increased awareness
Title at top of page
Labels
More detailed drawings (background)
Increase use of letters and invented spelling
Using classroom resources
Participation

18. Discussion Writing stages should not be used in isolation
Processes, products, interactions
Vast amounts of research on writing development and emergent writing skills—many gaps in understanding of writing development
Narrowing the focus

19. Recommendations Longitudinal study
Variety of writing tasks (letter and words, name writing, composing)
Portfolio and continuum

20. References
Gentry, J. R. (2005). Instructional techniques for emerging writers and special needs students at kindergarten and grade 1 levels. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 21, Kissel, B., Hansen, J., Tower, H., & Lawrence, J. (2011). The influential interactions of pre-kindergarten writers. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 11(4), Puranik, C. S., & Lonigan, C. J. (2011, May). From scribbles to scrabbles: Preschool children's developing knowledge of written language. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 24(5), Roth, K., & Guinee, K. (2011). Ten minutes a day; The impact of Interactive Writing on first graders' independent writing. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 11(3),