Teaching second-grade students to write sequential text

With the adoption of the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards, writing has become an increasingly important area of instruction. Moreover, there has been an increased sophistication in the types of writing required of young children and the use of textual evidence expected in student writing. Historically, children have not been routinely taught explicit strategies for writing, but have been exposed to less rigid writing instruction such as Writer's Workshop. The current study examined an explicit writing strategy, the Read-to-Write Strategy, to determine its effectiveness in teaching young children how to write sequential text. A single subject design (N = 40) was used to compare the writing of second graders before and after instruction. Results indicated that the Read-to-Write Strategy significantly increased the quality of sequential text from the pre- to post-instruction with a large effect size reported. Implications and recommendations for educators and researchers are provided.     

Answering the challenge: SRSD instruction for close reading of text to write to persuade with 4th and 5th Grade students experiencing writing difficulties

Reading and Writing - We designed and investigated the first set of instructional procedures we are aware of to teach 4th and 5th grade students how to write a persuasive essay following close...     

Examining fourth-grade mathematics writing: features of organization,mathematics vocabulary,and mathematical representations

Increasingly, students are expected to write about mathematics. Mathematics writing may be informal (e.g., journals, exit slips) or formal (e.g., writing prompts on high-stakes mathematics assessments). In order to develop an effective mathematics-writing intervention, research needs to be conducted on how students organize mathematics writing and use writing features to convey mathematics knowledge. We collected mathematics-writing samples from 155 4th-grade students in 2 states. Each student wrote about a computation word problem and fraction representations. We compared mathematics-writing samples to a norm-referenced measure of essay writing to examine similarities in how students use writing features such as introductions, conclusions, paragraphs, and transition words. We also analyzed the mathematics vocabulary terms that students incorporated within their writing and whether mathematics computation skills were related to the mathematics vocabulary students used in writing. Finally, we coded and described how students used mathematics representations in their writing. Findings indicate that students use organizational features of writing differently across the norm-referenced measure of essay writing and their mathematics writing. Students also use mathematics vocabulary and representations with different levels of success. Implications for assessment, practice, and intervention development are discussed.     

在教学中引导学生写反思日记

长期以来，在教学中发现这样一些共性的问题：做过多遍，讲过多遍的试题仍有学生出现差错；不少学生经常会感叹自己粗心而无谓失分；将试题稍作改动后会出现卡壳现象。于是，教师责怪学生，学生在不知所措中埋于题海，教师竭尽全力地寻题、拼题、批题、讲题，学生拼命地做题、听题，用辛劳的拼搏换来成绩的点滴提高……这些与新课程强调的以学生为主体，突出培养学生思维能力，增进学生对知识理解和应用相比照，有较大偏差。笔者结合自己成长的经历，大胆地在学生作业布置方面作了尝试，削减了传统作业量，减少了单调重复的操作训练，通过引导学生写反思日记，把学习的主动权还给学生，减少盲从性，使学习活动有的放矢。经过两年多的探索实践，取得了理想的教学效果。     

创新作文教学法初探

20 0 0年 ,高考作文评分标准首次按“基础等级”和“发展等级”两项来评分。应该说 ,这样的评分方法更鲜明地贯彻近几年高考一贯强调的“选拔人才观”。如何顺应高考的变化 ?1999年起 ,话题作文大行其“试”。如何更有效地提高学生的作文水平以适应社会发展 ,成为摆在我们面前的课题。众所周知 ,学生们从小学二三年级开始学写作文 ,到高三年 ,已写了十年作文。以每学期八篇计算 ,也已写了一百六十篇的作文了 ,加上毕业班强化训练阶段、考试作文等 ,绝对超过二百篇。但是纵观学生平常作文或中考高考的应试作文 ,很多老师都会发现 ,学生的作文…     

The relationship between measures of vocabulary and narrative writing quality in second- and fourth-grade students

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between measures of written vocabulary and writing quality. Participants included 92 second-grade students and 101 fourth-grade students. Students completed two writing samples: one an experimenter-developed writing task and the other, a standardized assessment of writing quality. Research questions examined whether four vocabulary measures (vocabulary diversity, less frequent vocabulary, mean syllable length, number of polysyllabic words) demonstrated developmental differences, whether the vocabulary measures remained stable across two different writing prompts, and whether the vocabulary measures explained unique and shared variance beyond that explained by compositional length and compositional spelling. The results indicated that vocabulary diversity and less frequent vocabulary showed developmental differences across the two writing tasks. Vocabulary diversity was the only variable to remain stable across the two writing tasks. Commonality analysis revealed that vocabulary measures explained unique and shared variance in writing quality in all four models (2 grades and 2 writing prompts). Generally, vocabulary diversity was the most stable and consistent of the four vocabulary variables.     

初中作文教学体系点滴谈

本文初步分析了当前作文教学中存在的问题,试图在初中作文教学中形成一个体系,从标题-构思-选材-文体-语言等方面,对学生进行系统的教学,使学生在写作中展现自己的个性和才华,以期解决当前初中作文教学中的问题。     

寓课文教学与童年生活于作文教学中

随着课程改革的朝阳冉冉升起 ,小学语文课程中的作文写作范围宽裕 ,拓宽了学生视野 ,学生能拥有更大的自主性 ,有更多选择创作的机会 ,有更大的创作空间 ,有更宽阔的表达真情实感的天地 ,可以写这 ,也可以写那 ,取缔了过去命题作文方式。这给教师提出了更高的要求 ,需要教师更新观念 ,明确导向。小学语文教学大纲指出 :“小学生作文 ,就是练习把自己看到的、听到的、想到的内容或亲身经历的事情 ,用恰当的语言文字表达出来。”在作文教学中 ,学生作文中出现没有东西写 ,即使写出来也是干巴巴的 ,有的改头换面、七拼八凑 ,更不说写具体 ,表真…     

其实,学生有话要说--对作文教学的一点反思

一些现象司空见惯 :学生们聚在一起时总有说不完的话 ,谁开了一个话题 ,大家七嘴八舌很快就能形成谈论高潮 ;也有时 ,老师不经意地说一件事 ,大家反响热烈 ,智慧火花迸发。可在写命题作文时 ,却常常是抓耳挠腮 ,搜肠刮肚 ,痛苦之状让人怜悯之情顿生。下面两次作文活动 ,学生写作热情之高给我留下了较深刻的印象 :一是高一下学期写《一个学期调班一次 ,利大于弊还是弊大于利》 ,二是去年国际大专辩论赛后 ,让学生写决赛的辩题《美是客观的还是主观的》。出于一些考虑 ,我校高中部一直都将学生按程度编班 ,有的学年甚至一学期调班一次 ,学生反…     

高职英语写作教学中激发学生写作兴趣的有效对策

随着高等职业教育的发展,高职英语写作教学的重要性更加明显,由于很多学生对英语写作缺乏学习兴趣,基本处于"被动写作"、"痛苦写作"的境地,所以严重影响了高职英语写作教学的有效性。鉴于此,就英语写作教学中激发学生写作兴趣的有效对策进行探讨,旨在让学生在寓教于乐的课堂氛围下,提高英语写作兴趣,激发学生的写作潜能。     

谈“小学生高效识字写字”教学策略

"小学生高效识字写字"注重的是识字写字的效果,教学效果是衡量教师教学质量的标杆,因此"高效识字写字"是许多小学语文教师追寻的最高境界。教师根据汉字的构字规律和小学生的年龄、心理特点,从激发学习兴趣、把握规律、改进方法等入手,融知识性、趣味性和实践性于一体,让"识字写字教学"化抽象为具体,变枯燥为愉悦,使学生在学习汉字的过程中既能高效完成识字写字的学习任务,又能陶冶性情,提升能力。     

Source interpretation: teaching students with and without LD to read and write historically

We review domain-specific teaching approaches for students with learning disabilities in social studies, then present De La Paz's 2005 historical reasoning strategy so that readers understand the rationale for and have information on each stage of instruction. Next, we highlight the role of self-regulation for the reasoning process. We then turn to describing the role of each teacher (Morales as the social studies educator and Winston as the special educator), first as they collaborate with De La Paz and each other, then as Morales works alone, 1 year later. Implications are given for changes in teaching. The topic of women's suffrage is used throughout the article to highlight the teaching approach and to present student work.     

Application of English cohesion theory in the teaching of writing to Chinese graduate students

The English cohesion theory proposed by Halliday and Hasan makes great contributions to the understanding of the coherence and cohesion of the English texts. It should be applicable in the teaching of English writing so as to improve the cohesion in the students＇ compositions. The present paper describes apractice of this order among non-major graduate students, and discusses its results. The conclusion is that teaching activities of this kind can indeed improve the cohesion in the students＇ compositions. Finally the paper raises a few concerning problems which remain to be further explored.     

科技论文写作课程在研究生教学中的作用

科技论文写作是研究生课程的重要组成部分。本文结合科技论文写作课程的内容,从端正写作态度,构建学术道德,掌握写作规范,提高写作能力,以及培养创新能力等方面阐述了该课程在研究生教学中所发挥的作用,并指出教学中应注重研究生综合素质的培养。     

向学生放权,为作文松绑

为作文松绑,要让学生去自由命题、自由选材、自定文体、参与作文评价。     

The development of a science process assessment for fourth-grade students

In this study, a multiple-choice test entitled the Science Process Assessment was developed to measure the science process skills of students in grade four. Based on the Recommended Science Competency Continuum for Grades K to 6 for Pennsylvania Schools, this instrument measured the skills of (1) observing, (2) classifying, (3) inferring, (4) predicting, (5) measuring, (6) communicating, (7) using space/time relations, (8) defining operationally, (9) formulating hypotheses, (10) experimenting, (11) recognizing variables, (12) interpreting data, and (13) formulating models. To prepare the instrument, classroom teachers and science educators were invited to participate in two science education workshops designed to develop an item bank of test questions applicable to measuring process skill learning. Participants formed “writing teams” and generated 65 test items representing the 13 process skills. After a comprehensive group critique of each item, 61 items were identified for inclusion into the Science Process Assessment item bank. To establish content validity, the item bank was submitted to a select panel of science educators for the purpose of judging item acceptability. This analysis yielded 55 acceptable test items and produced the Science Process Assessment, Pilot 1. Pilot 1 was administered to 184 fourth-grade students. Students were given a copy of the test booklet; teachers read each test aloud to the students. Upon completion of this first administration, data from the item analysis yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.73. Subsequently, 40 test items were identified for the Science Process Assessment, Pilot 2. Using the test-retest method, the Science Process Assessment, Pilot 2 (Test 1 and Test 2) was administered to 113 fourth-grade students. Reliability coefficients of 0.80 and 0.82, respectively, were ascertained. The correlation between Test 1 and Test 2 was 0.77. The results of this study indicate that (1) the Science Process Assessment, Pilot 2, is a valid and reliable instrument applicable to measuring the science process skills of students in grade four, (2) using educational workshops as a means of developing item banks of test questions is viable and productive in the test development process, and (3) involving classroom teachers and science educators in the test development process is educationally efficient and effective.     

Grammar matters: How teachers' grammatical knowledge impacts on the teaching of writing

Teaching grammar has been mandated in statutory curriculum documents in England since 1988. Yet despite this, research evidence continues to suggest that metalinguistic knowledge is an area of challenge for many teachers. Drawing on data from a larger study, this paper considers the role of teachers' grammatical knowledge, both content and pedagogical content knowledge, in mediating learning about writing in the classroom. It also illustrates how students' learning about writing is influenced by teachers’ metalinguistic knowledge. The study highlights that grammatical pedagogical content knowledge is more significant than grammatical content knowledge in supporting meaningful teaching and learning about writing.     

Professional development of teachers in the implementation of a strategy-focused writing intervention program for elementary students

In this study we examined the effectiveness of Tekster [Texter], a comprehensive program for writing for the upper elementary grades, combining strategy instruction, text structure instruction, and the teaching of self-regulation skills with observational learning, explicit instruction, and (guided) practice to address both the focus of instruction (what is taught) and the mode of instruction (how it is taught). Further, we investigated the added value of a professional development program for teachers on the effectiveness and implementation of the intervention in the classroom, by adopting a teachers-training-teachers approach. One group of teachers (N = 31) was trained by experts, and subsequently trained their colleagues (N = 37). Quasi-experimental results showed that students’ writing performance improved after the intervention (ES = 0.55), while generalizing over tasks, students, and teachers. Further, teachers became more positive and felt more efficacious about teaching writing after the intervention. There were no differences between trainers and trainees, which provides evidence for the spillover effect of professional development. To get more insight in how teachers implemented the intervention in their classroom and in the social validity of the intervention and the teachers-training-teachers approach, we triangulated post-intervention questionnaires with classroom observations and interviews. This mixed methods approach revealed that both trainers and trainees were highly satisfied with the program and easily adapted their focus of instruction. However, for adjusting the mode of instruction more teacher support seems to be needed.     

把挥作教学的重点转移到学生的写作过程上来

在写作能力上，制约大学生英语写作能力提高的因素是多方面的，而我国传统大学英语写作教学法陈旧，写作教学重点强调失当是其重要原因。只有更新教学观念，调整写作教学的思路，把写作教学的重点从学生的成稿转移到学生的写作过程上来，加强对学生写作过程的监控和指导，才是当前写作教学改革的关键。