The Stability of Beginning Writers’ Profiles in Response to Sentence-Writing Instruction

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 7:45 am - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Writing Development and Assessment Practices across Literacy Contexts

Abstract

This study examines first-grade students’ writing in a pilot, randomized controlled trial of the Writing Across Levels of Language (WALL) Sentences curriculum. Using confirmatory factor analysis and latent profile analysis, we identified distinct profiles across spelling, productivity, and sentence quality at pretest and posttest. These profiles remained largely stable, suggesting consistent individual performance patterns. A generalized linear mixed-effects model revealed that students in the treatment group were more than twice as likely to move into higher-performing profiles than peers in the comparison group. Findings highlight the effectiveness of integrated sentence-level instruction and illustrate the value of person-centered approaches in capturing learner variability and guiding equitable, developmentally responsive writing interventions.

Authors

• Man Jiang, University of Delaware

• David Coker, University of Delaware

• Kristen D. Ritchey, University of Delaware