Dismantling Racial Injustice Through Teaching Fourth-Graders Perspective Taking and Persuasive Writing

• In Event: Literacies for Antiracism and Social Justice

Abstract

Twelve fourth-grade students learned perspective-taking and persuasive writing in this mixed methods study. We explicitly taught how to write a persuasive essay from source text during social studies using a Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) program, STOP DARE. Participants demonstrated characteristics of a range of learning needs (e.g., attention, developing reader, emotional support, average writer) creating multiple case studies. Essays and other student work were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Results indicate that this approach is effective to improve writing outcomes. However, data also indicate more of a focus on social studies, equity, and social justice components for future studies. Limitations and additional future directions will be discussed.

Authors

• Angelique Aitken, Pennsylvania State University

• Katherine Van Haren, School District of Pittsville

• Haniyeh Kheirkhah, Pennsylvania State University

• Dana Patenaude, Pennsylvania State University

• Madeline Halkowski, Pennsylvania State University

• Sydney Chiat