Incorporating Strategy Instruction Within the Writing Process in the Regular Classroom: Effects on the Writing of Students with and without Learning Disabilities

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of embedding strategy instruction in the context of a process approach to writing in inclusive classrooms. Through a series of extended mini-lessons during writers' workshop, both students with and without a learning disability were taught a previously validated writing strategy and procedures for regulating the strategy and the writing process. The strategy instructional procedures had a positive effect on the participating fourth- and fifth-grade students' writing. The schematic structure of their stories improved substantially following instruction and remained improved over time and with a different teacher. The quality of what was written also improved for all but two of the students following instruction. Overall, improvements in story quality were maintained and generalized by all of the students, except for the younger fourth graders and one fifth-grade student who failed to maintain quality gains on a generalization probe. In addition, one of the students who had not evidenced quality gains immediately following instruction, wrote qualitatively better stories on the generalization and maintenance probes. Finally, data collected during instruction demonstrated that the best results were obtained when all stages and components of instruction were enacted. Implications for instruction and research were examined.