Comparing Two Story-Writing Mnemonic Strategies: A Randomized Control Trial Study

• In Event: Writing Instruction and Interventions for Students With Disabilities

Abstract

Students who struggle with writing face many challenges in generating prose. Idea generation, spelling, sentence formation, planning, and producing draft text on the page for editing to final copy represent areas where these children can benefit from strategy instruction. In a randomized control trial format, 12 fourth-grade children were assigned to one of three groups: the Ask, Reflect, Text (ART) strategy group, the Think-Talk-Text (T3) strategy group, or the control group. After a baseline phase to measure pre-treatment performance and four sessions to learn their assigned strategy and applied it in writing practice, results indicated that aspects of both strategies were effective. Combining aspects of ART and T3 could have added power in helping children improve writing skills.

Author

• Michael W. Dunn, Washington State University - Vancouver