Using verbal mediation strategies and group processes to enhance story writing

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine whether verbal mediation strategies and group process skills implemented in small cooperative group settings of learning disabled children and low progress children, were effective in improving the children's expository writing performances. Measures of writing behaviour which were monitored included words per story, and two measures of complexity-number of T-units per story and number of words per T-unit. The results indicated that there was a larger increase in the target children's performances over baseline in both the number of words per story and the number of T-units per story. However, there was no significant difference in measures of words per T-unit. The results obtained suggest that the relatively simple procedures which were adopted to facilitate group interaction and commitment to tasks did contribute to the gains made by the children in the cooperative condition.

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