Modeling Elementary Aged Students' Fluency Growth in Written Expression: Predicting Fluency Growth for Girls and Boys in General Education
Year: 2011
Type: article
Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial
Abstract: Research on evidence-based writing intervention practices as well as reliable and valid assessments of elementary-aged students' writing fluency has been lacking compared to other academic areas (i.e., reading). Performance feedback interventions targeting writing fluency are gaining empirical support (Eckert et al., 2006); however, growth trajectories for elementary-aged students' writing fluency over a short period of time and contributing variables have not been explored. The purpose of this study was to model students' writing fluency growth as it relates to: (a) instructional practices, (b) sex differences, and (c) individual student's initial level of writing fluency. A total of 133 third-grade students in three urban elementary schools were randomly assigned to either an individualized performance feedback condition (n = 46),a practice-only condition (i.e., weekly writing practice) (n = 39), or an instructional control condition (n = 48) for eight weeks. Results indicated that students assigned to the performance feedback condition demonstrated statistically significantly greater growth in their writing fluency than students assigned to the other two conditions. Additionally, students assigned to the instructional control condition demonstrated statistically significantly greater growth in writing fluency than students assigned to the practice-only condition. Statistically significant sex differences were observed, with girls writing more total words and correct writing sequences than boys. However, in comparison to boys, girls did not differ in their rate of growth. Finally, students' initial level of writing fluency did not differentially predict their growth in writing fluency over the course of the study. Implications for measuring and increasing growth in elementary-aged students' writing fluency are discussed.
Author: Adrea J. Truckenmiller
Institution: Syracuse University
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W49578331