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1 Motivating Students to Write Research from One Classroom By Sasha Vargas PLC 650 May 13, 2010

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Motivating Students to WriteResearch from One Classroom

By Sasha VargasPLC 650

May 13, 2010

2

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the underlying reasons that motivate

students to write. This research focuses on one 4th grade dual- immersion classroom at

Nestor Elementary School. This research project takes a qualitative approach to be

able to understand the thoughts and feelings behind the students writing. It gives

teachers a better understanding over the underlying obstacles that students face when

trying to write and strategies to use on overcoming these obstacles. The research

focuses on groups, surveys and student observations. The results of the research can

be used by teachers to shape their curriculum and lessons to encourage students to

write.

3

1. Framework

I believe that students need to be given more choices in their education.

Education has become so scripted, right down to what students should write about and

who they should write it to. This creates an inflexible environment where students do

not feel secure in their own writing, which then does not stimulate them to write. “The

best writing comes when students choose topics that tap into their own experiences and

interests” (Freeman & Freeman, 2006, p. 160). Freeman & Freeman (2006), are very

well known authors of dual immersion and bilingual classrooms. Since, my class is a

dual immersion class; much of what I have learned to motivate students comes from

their research. They believe that students need an environment that welcomes

students’ interests and choices in writing. This type of classroom is where the process

writing method is taught versus the traditional writing method. In a process writing class

students are given a purpose and an authentic audience to write to, not just the teacher.

I believe that to truly motivate students to write we need to follow the process writing

method, which includes authentic writing activities and freedom for students to choose

their own topics.

My framework relates to my metaphor because it is a puzzle with various pieces

that are put together in order for it to be whole. Each piece is part of the larger puzzle of

what a student needs to become and successful and motivated writer. Without all the

pieces of this puzzle the picture would not be complete, just like a student when they try

to write. They need all the necessary support and strategies to be successful and eager

to write.

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The Puzzle of the Motivated Writer

2. Introduction and Context of the Study

Meta Terms:

Dual language: is a form of education in which students are taught literacy and content in two languages (Freeman & Freeman, 2006) Self-efficacy: a persons personal judgment about their ability on how their perform a task (Bocolo & Hidi, 2006)

The study involves a class of 31 students in San Diego, California. It is part of a

two-way Spanish Immersion program. It follows the 90:10 two-way model, at the

kindergarten and first grades, 90% of the instructional day is devoted to content

instruction in Spanish and 10% in English. Afterwards the amount of time in English

increases 10% each year. All students begin reading in the target language and do not

being formal English reading until 3rd grade. By 5th and 6th grade the instructional time in

both languages is equally divided. Every six weeks the students are given a writing test

with a prompt that the district chooses, to prepare them for the CA state writing exam.

These writing exams cover different genres and prompts each time they are given.

About 50% of the class gets a 3 or above on a 4 point scale using a district approved

rubric for grading. In class, depending on the situation, students are given topics to

Student chooses topicStudent must have

knowledge of the topic

Topic needs to be personal to student

Positive feedback from peers and teacher

Self- efficacyShared writing

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choose from or given the freedom to write what they want to. Since there are so many

students who can barely write a page or have difficulty getting their thoughts on paper it

has led the research to many questions. The guiding research question is: What

motivates students to write? After continuing with the research further exploration was

needed. Therefore the sub questions are: What topics do students like to write about?

What type of writing do students like to write? Are students allowed to choose their own

topics? Why do some students get discouraged when its time to write?

3. Rationale and Purpose of Study

As a classroom teacher/ researcher I have had many students come to me with

the lack of motivation and energy to write. Since writing is such an important piece of

education and a balanced literacy program I have made it my own personal goal to see

students improve in this area. Students are given readings followed by prompts to write

about for our district benchmark exams and then in 4th and 7th grade they are given the

California state writing exam. In addition to these exams, most universities ask for

written essays as a part of their application to the university. This is why there is such a

great need for my students to be more inspired when writing. It will help them succeed

now and in the future. According to Boscolo & Gelati (2007), “Motivated students can

be defined as those who value and are willing to use writing as a worthwhile activity or

means of expression, communication, and elaboration.” (p. 205). Now, there are times

when students are motivated to write and are willing to do the writing activity, but

honestly don’t know enough about a certain topic to write. The problem with the lack of

student motivation in writing is the lack of interest usually due to the writing task. “A

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basic source of students’ lack of motivation is the writing tasks themselves, which may

be perceived by students as boring, difficult, and/or detached from their personal

experience in and our of the classroom” (Boscolo & Gelati, 2007, p. 208). Students

need to be given ample time and opportunities to write everyday. They should be

taught how to choose topics that interest them so that they will be engaged in what they

are writing. Students must also learn that writing does not always have to be

independent and private but that it can be social and shared with others. This is why in

this research I will first find, what students interests are in writing. Then thorough the

student writing observations and focus groups I will try to find a connection in what

settings and structures in writing promote student’s abilities to write in class.

4. Literature Review

Are students K-6 really motivated to write? Donald H. Graves (1994), a well

known researcher of writing, believes that students will write but he believes that they

experience difficulties if they are constricted. This means that students innately want to

write but that teachers today may not be giving them the opportunities to practice this

skill. This is true in my classroom and many others that I have visited due to the

constant demands and constraints put on teachers by the current state of education.

Since students and teachers are faced with this obstacles it important for a teacher to

know how to motivate their students to write. Through my research I have found many

reoccurring themes that various writing experts have agreed upon when investigating

students’ motivation to write. The following themes can be found in the literature review

below:

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1. The circumstances that occur when students are unmotivated to write.

2. Strategies that can be used to stimulate writing.

3. Students must be taught to write in a process writing approach.

4. Sharing students’ writing builds upon their self esteem which inherently

motivates them to write.

I. The circumstances that occur when students are unmotivated to write.

One issue that is facing teachers today is that there is not enough time being

given to students to write on a daily basis. This directly effects the motivation for a

student to write when it is finally time to put their thoughts on paper. The National

Commission of Writing (2003) found that ninety-seven percent of students spend three

hours or less on writing assignments per week, which is about fifteen percent of the time

they spend watching television. Students simply need to be more engaged in writing

which will in turn give them more motivation to write because the skill will be more

practiced. Students have to write at least four out of the five days a week, for thirty-five

to forty minutes a day to be able to improve as writers (Graves, 1994). More

importantly, in my classroom, like many others in California, I have English language

learners. If these students do not get enough time to practice they are even more

affected than those who are proficient in the English language (Graves, 1994). Given

these implications on time management there are many changes that can be made to

improve to ignite a student’s thoughts onto a paper.

Another issue that arises when student’s lack the motivation to write is that it is

not a passive action, like reading but it is an active action where a writer has to produce

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something on paper. With reading students are more motivated because they can

interact with the text and connect the information with their own thoughts (Boscolo &

Hindi, 2006). Whereas, in writing students have to “produce texts often with only

minimal environmental/ curricular input” (Boscolo & Hindi, 2006, p. 145). This means

that often students do not have a knowledge base to draw upon when given a topic to

write about. This makes the student uninterested in the writing assignment. Therefore,

in order for a student to be successful in writing they must have a clear understanding

what they are writing about.

Lastly, an additional obstacle for many students when they are writing is the

emotional barriers they carry with them. As a fourth grade teacher my students have

gone through many other classrooms and have been instructed to write by their

previous teachers. Many of these students, like many others, have had negative

experiences through harmful criticism and comments from teachers or peers (Chapman

& King, 2003). “These authors build barriers to writing experiences because they fear

failure” (Chapman & King, 2003, p. 4). Teachers need to be more aware of their

students’ experiences in writing, and what kinds of assignments encourage them to

write rather than leave them in a stalemate with their paper and pencil.

II. Strategies that can be used to stimulate writing.

Now, that we know several reasons that students are having difficulty in writing

we must investigate strategies that teachers can use to improve a student’s motivation

to write. Calkins (1983), through her own experience and while conducting her research

realized that students feel devalued when teachers give students topics to write about.

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Through Calkins (1983) own teaching she had tried several different methods to get

children to write. She tried giving them topics and having them choose one (Calkins,

1983). Later she realized that wasn’t working so she tried giving students creative

topics that were open-ended (Calkins, 1983). After reflecting on her methods she

realized students needed to choose their own topics, but the problem was that the

students had become “dependant on the teachers for ideas” (Calkins, 1983, pg. 25).

Graves (1982) describes a similar moment by saying,

Children who are fed topics, story starters, lead sentences…as a steady diet…rightfully panic when topics have to come from them. The anxiety is not unlike that of the child whose mother has just turned off the television set. ‘Now what so I do?’ bellows the child. Suddenly their acts depend on them and they unused to providing their own motivations and direction (pg. 21)

In another text that Calkins (1986) wrote she said that,

Topic choice is part of writing, but the larger issue is that, when we invite children to choose their form, voice, and audience as well as their subject, we give them ownership and responsibility for their writing (pg. 6).

This makes writing for children a more personal project which results in a student being

more engaged and inspired to write (Calkins, 1986). This is how children are more

encouraged to write; by finding allowing them to find a topic that is relevant to their lives

and experiences (Calkins, 1986). This especially helps those students, like English

language learners or students who lack confidence (Chapman & King, 2003). These

“choices provide the students with feelings of ownership and a deeper sense of

personal responsibility and pride in their work” (Chapman, 1986, pg. 16).

There are many studies that have been conducted that find that student

motivation towards writing has three variables: interest, self-efficacy and self regulation

(Bocolo & Hidi, 2006). Beginning with the first variable researchers have found that

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children may be given a topic that is very high in interest but that they show difficulty in

writing due to their lack of knowledge on the topic (Bocolo & Hidi, 2006). Thus, students

must choose topics that are not only interesting to them but that they have enough

knowledge to write about. “Once we tap into a child’s interests and provide the

necessary demonstrations and support to help him write, success can come quickly”

(Routman, 2006, pg. 21). The second variable is self-eficacy, is how a student personal

judgement about their ability on how they perform a certain task (Bocolo & Hidi, 2006).

Students who are not self-efficacious do not see their strengths or even small

improvement, which is why it is so important for teachers to notice these improvements

and celebrate them (Routman, 2006). Adversely, students who are self-efficacious are

not turned away when they encounter a daunting or challenging task, instead they work

harder (Bocolo & Hidi, 2006). “A writer’s self-efficacy is cultivated or instilled when

positive comments provide recommendations for improvement” (Chapman & King,

2003, pg. 10). Praise should be specific to the task, for example Routman (2006)

describes a situation in her class,

I noticed that Carl used really interesting words to describe how he plays with his dog. He didn’t just say, ‘I play with my dog.’ He said, ‘We wrestle. We lunge at each other,’ I can really picture that. “This kind of specific word choice will have all the kids striving to use more interesting word choices in their writing (pg. 29).

Lastly, the third variable is self-regulation. “Self-regulated students monitor and control

their thought processes in order to learn (Chapman & King, 2003, pg. 10). Self

regulation has several aspects including 1) self-evaluation and monitoring, 2) goal

setting and strategic planning, 3) putting a plan into action and monitoring it, and 4)

monitoring outcomes and refining strategies (Chapman & King, 2003). To be able to

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improve each of these areas of self-regulation teacher’s need to first model and guide

students through their own thinking and planning (Chapman & King, 2003). A student

cannot learn how to self-regulate from their own errors (Bocolo & Hidi, 2006). Thus,

teachers need to show students how to write starting with choosing a topic, all the way

until self-reflection after the text has been written. Additionally, teachers need to teach

students how to use rubrics so that they can self-evaluate and guide themselves to

improving their own writing (Calkins, 1986). These three variables: interest, self-efficacy

and self regulation encompass many strategies that students need to learn, but that are

imperative to stimulate a student’s writing.

III. Students must be taught to write in a process writing approach.

In writing there are two views on how to teach the skill: the traditional approach

and the process approach. In traditional classrooms you will see teachers giving

students topics to write, assignments are disconnected from students’ lives and the

audience for writing is the teacher (Freeman & Freeman, 2006). More importantly, the

focus in this type of writing is always the final product (Freeman & Freeman, 2006).

Quite the opposite, with the process writing approaches of writing, the focus is always

on how the student is communicating their meaningful message to an authentic

audience (Freeman & Freeman, 2006). In these types of classrooms students find that

writing is a means to communicate their thoughts and opinions (Freeman & Freeman,

2006). Figure 1 below gives a brief overview of what each type of classroom looks like:

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Traditional Writing Classrooms Process Writing Classrooms

Focus on the product Focus on the process and product

Begin with parts and build to the whole Begin with the messages and then focus on the parts

Teacher directly instructs on how to form letters, then words, and combine words into sentences

Teacher creates conditions for authentic written responses

Teacher gives topics Teachers help students learn to choose good topics

Topics may or may not relate to students’ lives

Topics come from students’ background of interest

Time for writing is restricted and flexible Time for writing is open and flexible

Few resources are available for writers Many resources are available

Writing product must be conventional Writing moves naturally from invention to convention

Students write for teacher Students write for read audienceThe teacher corrects Classmates and others respondWriting is private and individual Writing is shared and social

Figure 1 Two Views of Teaching Writing (Freeman & Freeman, 2006, pg. 156)

Calkins (1986), calls this approach, the conference writing approach because it is in

conferencing with students that they learn how to interact with their own writing. Over

the past twenty years researchers have found that the process of writing to be much

more beneficial to student improvement in this skill than the final product (Boscolo &

Gelati, 2007). Boscolo and Gelati (2007) argue that using this process approach

motivates students by finding value in their own writing. This value of their own writing

is found during the activities that occur when students go through the writing process,

which is taught in the process approach (Graves, 1994). An example of one of these

activities is the writing conference with the teacher. Calkins (1986) explains that this is

the time when students teach us about themselves and their writing, which is where we

can give them feedback on how to they are doing. In turn students are more motivated

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to write because they are getting corrective feedback on how they can do even better,

which directly correlates with self-efficacy (Chapman & King, 2003).

IV. Sharing students’ writing builds upon their self esteem which inherently motivates

them to write.

Part of the writing process approach is giving students’ authentic audiences and

time to share their writing with others. First we must understand that voice “underlies

every part of the process” (Graves, 1994, pg. 81). “A student’s voice is the imprint of

themselves on their writing” (Graves, 1994, pg. 81). This is further explained by

Boscolo and Gelati (2007) when they explain that students want their voices heard, so

teachers need to give students authentic audiences for their writing. Routman (2008)

described a situation in her class when she had students write persuasive letters to a

yard supervisor to change a playground rule. Originally the students did not believe that

their voice would be heard through this letter, but in the end the yard supervisor listened

to them and modified the rule (Routman, 2008). Students who realize that there is a

purpose for there writing take their writing seriously and are energized by the possibility

of garnering the desired effect (Routman, 2008, pg. 25).

In the previous paragraph an example was given where students had an

authentic audience and where they were able to share their writing with them. This is

the next aspect on how to encourage students to write. Writing is a social activity not

only because what one writes can be read by someone else, but also because writing

can be performed in an interactive context (Boscolo & Gelati, 2007, pg. 210). Graves

(1994) believes that writing is a social act and that they need audiences to build their

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self- esteem. This is very important in classrooms that have English language learners,

like in the case of Routman’s experience. Routman (2007) explains that students

improve their reading and writing when they are familiar with the language. Teachers

should create avenues for students to share their writing and where it can be accessed

throughout the year (Routman, 2007). Some teachers even turn student texts into

Readers’ Theatre scripts that can be used by all the students in the class (Routman,

2007). In sum, if students see themselves as authors and have the opportunity to share

their writing, they will read and write with admiration, marveling at another author’s

efforts and learning vicariously from another author’s success and struggles (Calkins,

1994, pg. 228).

Using this research as a reference I will continue to describe my experience with

improving my students’ motivation to write in my fourth grade class.

5. Methodology

a. Qualitative Approach

This action research project is based on a qualitative approach which relies on

description and depiction that is developed from student surveys, focus groups and

observations (Falk & Blumenreich, 2005). Through this type of research I made a

connection between what students write about and their thoughts about writing to

conclude what motivates them to write. I chose to do a qualitative research project

because I am trying to explain why students are unmotivated to write. In order to

conduct this type of research I need to understand students’ thinking at a deeper level,

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by observing and making interpretations from my findings (Falk & Blumenreich, 2005).

This will allow me to find the truth about my student’s motivation to write.

b. Instruments

For this study I am using triangulated data, which allows qualitative researchers

to ensure that their research is rigorous and valid (Falk & Blumenreich, 2005). The

following three methods will be used to triangulate the data: student surveys, focus

groups and student writing observations.

1. Student Surveys

I created a student survey that asks questions about their attitudes towards

writing and what topics and contexts they like to write about. One question focuses on

how students feel when they write. There are two questions that deal with what topics

they like to write about. Four questions asked students about how they see themselves

as writers. Lastly, there are two questions that ask how students like to share their

writing.

2. Focus Group

I used the questions from the student surveys and the data I collected and lead a

discussion with 6 students from my class. I chose these 6 six students at random and

conducted the discussion during class time.

3. Student Writing Observations

During our scheduled writing time in class I took notes using an observational

checklist. The checklist has three columns labeled: not at all, somewhat and

completely. The areas that I observed were: did the students choose their own topic,

developed a brainstorm, discussed writing with other students, followed the writing

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process, students were eager to write, students shared writing after completed. These

observations were done over the course of a few days to ensure that all areas were

complete and the observations were thorough.

c. Participants

Thirty-one students in one 4th grade class participated in my study. There are fourteen

girls and sixteen boys. Their age ranges are from nine to ten years old. Twenty-seven

of the students are receiving Title 1 funding. Twenty-four of the students are considered

to have low socio-economic status. Two students have been tested to be GATE. All

participants have been in the same classroom since the beginning of the school year at

Nestor Elementary.

7. Preliminary Analysis of the Data

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Student's Feelings towards Writing

Excited

Okay

Embarrassed

Nervous

Sad

Scared

Bored

Happy

17

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Student's Favorite Writing Topic

Sports

Fairy Tales

Yourself

Animals

Friends

Family

Vacation

Movies

Books

Television

Nothing

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Student's Favoirte type of Writing

Stories

Poems

Journals

Letters

Summaries

Reports

Respons to Literature

Nothing

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

How students like to publish their writing

On the computer

On a poster

Using pen and paper

In a class book

I do not like to publish mywriting

18

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Do students like to write?

Yes

No

Not Sure

0

5

10

15

20

25

Do students like to choose their own topics?

Yes

No

Not Sure

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Do students think they are good writers?

Yes

No

Not sure

19

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Do students wish they were better at writing?

Yes

No

Not sure

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Do students like to share their writing?

Yes

No

Not sure

8) Preliminary Findings and Summary

After analyzing the data I was very surprised by some of my findings. One the

questions in my survey focused on how students felt when they wrote at school. The

amount of students who said they felt okay, 41.9%, almost paralleled the amount of

students who said they were bored, 38.7%. This tells me that about a little less than

half my class feels bored due to the kind of writing assignments we do in class, or that

they have done in the past. When I asked the six students in my focus group I got

similar answers. Most students said that their feelings towards the writing depended on

the topic of the assignment.

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This leads me to how students felt about choosing a topic. Students

overwhelmingly agreed, 77.4%, that they like choosing their own topic. In the focus

group and through my observations students were much more eager to discuss about

their writing topics because they said it felt more personal. The students said it was

easier to write because they chose things they knew a lot about. An interesting

connection that I made with my focus group and through my observations was that

students were much more excited to write when given options for topics, rather than

leaving it open-ended. Students when left to choose whatever topic they desired were

often lost, delayed in starting, or just looked panicked.

The student’s view of themselves as writers was also an interesting realization.

About the same amount of students thought they were good at writing, 25.8%, and not

good at writing, 22.6%, while 51.6% were not sure. This tells me that students really

need to feel more successful during their writing experiences. Maybe in the past they

have not had very successful experiences, which could be the reason why they are

unmotivated to write. These students want to improve in their writing from what they

answered in the survey. A little less than half the class, 54.8%, wanted to be a better

writer. Almost 20% of students were not sure if they wanted to improve or not while,

25.8% said they did not want to improve. This means that many of these students just

need extra support so that they feel that they are becoming better writers. In order for

these students to feel that they have improved they need the encouragement and

feedback from their peers and teachers. During my focus group many students

commented that it depended on the language that they wrote in if they felt that they

were good writers. From observing many students in the class were still dominant in

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one language so when asked to write in the non-dominant language they did not start

their assignment quite as eager.

Lastly, I was very shocked to see that the majority of the students did not like

sharing their writing. In my focus group many students felt the same way because they

said that their writing was personal. A few students said that they liked sharing because

they got to correct each others writing to make sure there weren’t any mistakes. In my

classroom observations I noticed that there were actually very few students who looked

disappointed to share with their peers as long as it was someone they trusted. A few

students were not happy to share with students who appeared to not be their friend.

9) Preliminary Conclusions

After analyzing the data I would conclude that there are several findings that

align to the research that I found. First, in order for students to be eager to write they

need to feel connected to what they are writing. With choosing their own topic, from a

list of topics, students feel much more confident in writing. Students need to have good

experiences in writing in order for them to feel that confidence. This means that since

there are so many students who are unsure about their proficiency in writing that there

needs to be more positive feedback and situations for students. By creating this

positive environment students will begin to feel that they are better writers, which might

possibly engage them into sharing their writing more.

10) Recommendations

An essential piece of finding out what motivates students to write is having the

students actually write. So, for my next steps I would take more observations of

students writing and pick a few case studies. Then I would implement a new writing

22

program with more student choice of topic, positive writing environment and shared

writing experiences. During this change I would take filed notes and analyze writing

pieces from my case study students. As a result of this process I would compare and

contrast the before and after. This would give me a much more valid study with more

research tools.

In addition I would also add more questions to my survey to see what language

they felt more comfortable to in when writing and how this might affect their motivation.

I would also chart the amount of time spent writing in both languages to see if there was

a correlation between motivation, time spent writing, language and subject matter.

Lastly, I would share the research with my grade level team and the rest of my

colleagues so that we can continue have more motivated students. This would enable

my school to strengthen its writing program by using research based methods.

Research is never ending and by branching this research project K-6 it will strengthen

its validity.

23

References

Boscolo, P. & Gelati, C. (2007). Best Practices in Promoting Motivation for Writing. In Best

Practices in Writing Instruction,. (p. 202-221). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Boscolo, P. & Hidi, S. (2006). Motivation and Writing. In Handbook of Writing Research,.

(p. 144-157). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Calkins, M.L. (1983). Lessons from a Child: On the Teaching and Learning of Writing.

Bedford Square, London: Heinemann.

Calkins, M.L. (1986). The Art of Teaching Writing. Portsmouth, New Hampshire:

Heinemann.

Chapman, C. & King, R. (2003) Differentiated Instructional Strategies for Writing in

Content Areas. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Falk, B. & Blumenreich, M. (2005) The Power of Questions: A Guide to Teacher and

Student Research. Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann.

24

Freeman, Y.S., & Freeman, D.E. (2006). Teaching Reading and Writing in Spanish and

English in Bilingual and Dual Language Classrooms. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Graves, D. (1983). Writing: Teachers and Children at Work. Exeter, New Hampshire:

Heinemann.

Graves, H. D. (1994). A Fresh Look at Writing. Ontario, Canada: Irwin Publishing.

Routman, R. (2008). Teaching Essentials. Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann.

The National Commission on Writing. (2003). The Neglected “R” The Need for a Writing Revolution. Retrieved from http://www.writingcommission.org/prod_downloads/writingcom/neglectedr.pdf

25

Appendix A

Writing Observation Checklist

Date: 3/23/10 Not at all Somewhat CompletelyDid the students choose their own topic

X

developed a brainstorm

X

discussed writing with other students

X

followed the writing process

X

students were eager to write

X

students shared writing after completed

X

Date: 3/31/10 Not at all Somewhat CompletelyDid the students choose their own topic

X

developed a brainstorm

X

discussed writing with other students

X

followed the writing process

X

students were eager to write

X

students shared writing after completed

X

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Appendix B

Student Writing Survey

1.How does it feel when you write? Circle one of the following:

ExcitedOkay Embarrassed Nervous

Sad Scared BoredHappy

2.What is your favorite topic to write about? Circle one of the following:

sports fairy tales yourself animals friends family

vacation movies books television nothing

3. What type of writing do you like to do the most? Circle one of the following:

Stories poems journals letters summaries reports

response to literature nothing

4. How do you like to publish your writing? Circle one of the following:

On the computer On a poster Using a pen and piece of paper

In a class book I do not like to publish my writing

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Appendix B

5. Do you like to write? Circle one of the following:

Yes Not sure No

6. Do you like to choose what you write about? Circle one of the following:

Yes Not sure No7. Do you think you are good writer? Circle one of the following:

Yes Not sure No

8. Do you wish you were better at writing? Circle one of the following:

Yes Not sure No

9. Do you like to share your writing? Circle one of the following:

Yes Not sure No