Research informed practice: analysing and teaching early writing

A deep knowledge of writing acquisition processes and the skills that support students to learn to write and create meaningful texts is necessary as teachers monitor students’ writing progress and subsequently design and implement teaching programs to facilitate the craft of writing. Effective teaching in this area is dependent upon the teacher’s understanding of the complexity of the writing process and acknowledgment of the multiple layers and intersections between the aspects of language learning and appreciation of the many pathways young learners may take on their journey towards proficiency. Our analysis of Year 1 students’ writing identified six dimensions of writing that can be used to describe the qualities of the writing of this age group alongside six levels of attainment to map students’ learning. The Writing Analysis Tool developed from this research enables teachers to monitor students’ writing and identify appropriate learning goals The purpose of the study discussed here, was to further establish the structure and validity of the Writing Analysis Tool and the six dimensions of writing identified: sentence structure, spelling, handwriting, text structure, vocabulary, punctuation and handwriting. It also designed to provide insight into possible typologies of students, where distinct combinations of the dimensions profile students’ competencies. Drawing from a database of 1799 writing samples, 250 texts were randomly selected and independently rated using the multi-vector Writing Analysis Tool. Confirmatory factor analysis, correlation and cluster procedures were the analyses used. The findings from this research identify a clear structure for the six factors defining children’s writing with three dimensions being associated with authorial and another three being associated with secretarial competencies. The analysis also identifies the profiles of high, medium and low progress students that can be used to inform classroom teaching. The study highlights the potential impact of research to inform and transform practice. It is proposed that when teachers know what factors work in combination they can accentuate the value of specific class activities by engaging students in focused writing tasks, teaching writing dimensions in particular combinations and addressing students’ learning needs so that efficiencies occur in the teaching and learning that provide achievement at multiple levels rather than at singular levels of engagement.