Teacher Writing Supports in Three Preschool Activity Contexts

• In Event: Early Literacy Across Contexts

Abstract

This paper describes instructional moves seven expert teachers used to support prekindergarten writers and explores how teacher writing supports were enacted in three preschool activity contexts: large group, small group, and learning centers. Researchers recorded adult-child writing interactions using fieldnotes, audio-video recording, and photos. Constant-comparative analysis (Corbin & Strauss, 2008) was used to identify themes and general patterns in instruction. Videos were then analyzed in 10 second intervals to create timescapes (Smith, 2016) documenting changes in instructional focus within events and across the three activity contexts. Findings show whole group, small group, and learning center activities afforded different opportunities for teaching and learning about writing. Teacher writing supports were deployed differently depending on the type of activity underway.

Authors

• Deborah Rowe, Vanderbilt University
  Presenting Author

• Amanda Yoshiko Shimizu, Vanderbilt University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Rebekah Hazel Hartman
  Non-Presenting Author

• Katelyn Mazenko, Vanderbilt University
  Non-Presenting Author