Promoting self-determined learning through student-directed learning strategies has been documented to promote more positive school-related outcomes for upper elementary grade learners with disabilities and other students who are struggling. These strategies are typically introduced in multicomponent interventions combining several student-directed learning strategies such as self-monitoring, self-evaluation, antecedent cue regulation, and self-instruction. Such interventions have established efficacy in promoting a wide array of academic outcomes. Students’ motivation is consistently related to academic achievement, but it has been found to change over time, with intrinsic motivation’s having marked decreases into the later elementary years and into middle school. This article reviews the literature on the impact of promoting self-determination and self-determined learning strategies that can be used to promote more positive reading and writing outcomes to enable students to become autonomous learners.
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