Writing instruction in elementary classrooms: making the connection to Common Core State Standards

Area of Science:

• Education
• Pedagogy
• Writing Instruction

Background:

• Writing instruction is a core component of primary education.
• Understanding current practices is crucial for aligning with educational standards and best practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the frequency of writing instructional activities in primary general education classrooms.
• To identify the most frequently composed genres by students in these classrooms.
• To analyze changes in writing practices and genre usage across first, third, and fifth grades.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to first, third, and fifth-grade general education teachers.
• The survey collected data on writing activities, instruction, strategies, genres, and the writing environment.
• Means of teacher responses were calculated per grade level to quantify activity frequency.

Main Results:

• The frequency of writing instructional practices and genre usage significantly changes across primary grade levels.
• A considerable variation in writing practices and genre selection exists among teachers within each grade level.
• Student writing genres and instructional activities evolve from early to later primary grades.

Conclusions:

• Writing instruction and genre composition in primary schools are dynamic and vary considerably.
• Findings highlight the need for further research into factors influencing teacher variation in writing instruction.
• Implications for aligning current practices with the Common Core State Standards for writing and best practices will be discussed.