Developing Self-Regulated Writers

Abstract

T INCLUSION OF STUDENTS with learning disabilities (e.g., resource students) in state-mandated accountability testing is standard in many U.S. schools. General and special education teachers strive to ensure that all students are able to complete the required writing components. Nonetheless, the writing difficulties of students with learning disabilities when compared to their non-disabled peers are well documented in the literature (Englert et al., 1991; Graham, Harris, MacArthur, & Schwartz, 1991; Wong, 1998). These students produce writing that is shorter, less cohesive, and poorer in overall quality. In addition, they have demonstrated a progressively more negative attitude towards writing (Harris & Graham, 1999). With these problems in mind, it is not surprising that author Linda Mason was anxious about the inclusion of her class of third-grade written language resource students in state-selected random testing groups. These students had been placed in groups—separated from their general classroom teacher, resource teacher, and peers—for practice testing weeks before the actual testing dates. After the first practice testing session, one of the third grade teachers asked Linda, “What is a Ms. Mason paragraph?” Apparently, two resource students had asked this teacher if they could write a paragraph the same way they had practiced in the resource classroom. When given permission to do so, the students wrote paragraphs equivalent to the paragraphs written by an average peer. The writing instruction utilized in Ms. Mason’s resource classroom included Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) (Harris & Graham, 1996), which focuses on the development of composition and self-regulation strategies in tandem. One goal of SRSD, which includes imbedding selfregulation procedures (e.g., self-instructions, goal setting, self-monitoring, and self-reinforcement) within strategy development, is to make the use of strategies automatic, routine, and flexible. Ms. Mason’s students had been able to internalize and generalize their writing strategies effectively enough to perform an unfamiliar writing task successfully during practice testing. These students with writing disabilities had learned a structure, a “trick,” for writing. Although the students in Ms. Mason’s class had diagnosed writing disabilities, difficulties with writing are not limited to students with special needs. Writing is not effortless or easy for most people. It is a highly complex and demanding task that requires that a number of skills be performed simultaneously. Writers must negotiate rules and mechanics while maintaining a focus on the overall organization, form and features, purposes and Karen R. Harris and Steve Graham are professors, Linda H. Mason is a faculty research assistant, and Bruce Saddler is a doctoral candidate, all at the University of Maryland.