Preventing Writing Difficulties: The Effects of Planning Strategy Instruction on the Writing Performance of Struggling Writers

Abstract

In this study, we examined whether early, supplemental strategy instruction in planning helped ameliorate writing difficulties. Second-grade students experiencing difficulty learning to write were taught a strategy for planning and writing stories. Learning to use the strategy had a positive effect on writing, as students' stories became more complete and, with the exception of 1 student, qualitatively better. Collateral improvements in an uninstructed genre, personal narratives, also occurred for all but 1 student. These positive effects were generally maintained over time and in some instances exceeded posttreatment effects.