Assessment and instruction of reading tend to dominate current discussions of early literacy. Shifting the focus to writing, this article addresses the assessment of writing for students in kindergarten through second grade. Using curriculum-based measurement of written expression for beginning writers, teachers can measure growth of smaller increments of writing skill development (i.e., number of words written in a given time or using correctly sequenced letters or words) and may use this method repeatedly across the school year to show growth and identify weakness in students’ early writing skills.
BerningerV. W.GarciaN. P.AbbottR. D. (2009). Multiple processes that matter in writing instruction and assessment. In TroiaG. A. (Ed.), Instruction and assessment for struggling writers: Evidence-based practices (pp. 15–51). New York, NY: Guilford.
2.
CokerD. L.RitcheyK. D. (2010). Curriculum-based measurement of writing in kindergarten and first grade: An investigation of production and qualitative scores. Exceptional Children, 76, 175–193.
3.
GansleK. A.VanDerHeydenA. M.NoellG. H.ResetarJ. L.WilliamsK. L. (2006). The technical adequacy of curriculum-based and rating-based measures of written expression for elementary students. School Psychology Review, 35, 435–450.
4.
GrahamS.HarrisK.SantangeloT. (2015). Research-based writing practices and the Common Core: Meta-analysis and meta-synthesis. Elementary School Journal, 115, 498–522.
5.
JewellJ.MaleckiC. K. (2005). The utility of CBM written language indices: An investigation of production-dependent, production-independent, and accurate-production scores. School Psychology Review, 34, 27–44.
6.
JuelC. (1988). Learning to read and write: A longitudinal study of 54 children from first through fourth grade. Journal of Educational Psychology, 80, 437–447.
7.
LembkeE.DenoS. LHallK. (2003). Identifying an indicator of growth in early writing proficiency for elementary school students. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 28, 23–35.
8.
MaleckiC. K.JewellJ. (2003). Developmental, gender, and practical considerations in scoring curriculum-based measurement writing probes. Psychology in the Schools, 40, 379–390.
9.
MarstonD.DenoS. (1981). The reliability of simple, direct measures of written expression (IRLD-RR-50). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Institute for Research on Learning Disabilities.
10.
McMasterK. L.DuX.PetursdottirA. (2009). Technical features of curriculum-based measures for beginning writers. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 42, 41–60.
11.
McMasterK. L.DuX.YeoS.DenoS. L.ParkerD.EllisT. (2011). Curriculum-based measures of beginning writing: Technical features of the slope. Exceptional Children, 77, 185–206.
12.
McMasterK. L.EspinC. (2007). Technical features of curriculum-based measurement in writing: A literature review. Journal of Special Education, 41, 68–84.
13.
National Commission on Writing in America’s Schools and Colleges. (2004). Writing: A ticket to work . . . or a ticket out. New York, NY: College Board.
14.
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). Common Core State Standards English language arts standards. Washington, DC: Author.
15.
ParkerD.McMasterK. L.BurnsM. (2011). Determining an instructional level for early writing skills. School Psychology Review, 40, 158–167.
16.
ShanahanT. (2006). Relations among oral language, reading, and writing development. In MacArthurC. A.GrahamS.FitzgeraldJ. (Eds.), Handbook of writing research (pp. 171–183). New York, NY: Guilford.
