An integrated communication arts approach for enhancing students’ learning in the content areas

Abstract

Abstract This study investigated the use of an integrated communication arts instructional strategy to facilitate comprehension in a high school history course. Treatments for the three experimental groups varied in the number of language processes each utilized. The writing treatment group wrote the first day after a topic‐brainstorming activity and the second day after a text reading about the same topic. The non‐writing treatment group received the brainstorming activity followed by a topic‐related word search puzzle task and then answered the comprehension questions from the text. The control group completed the word search puzzle and answered the comprehension questions. On the third day, all groups were administered an objective test and wrote on the topic. The writing group generated higher quality ideas on the written posttest than the other groups and better synthesized information acquired from all its activities. Furthermore, this group improved the quality of their ideas and their writing over the three‐day period.