Self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) instruction

1. Self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) instruction Harris, K, Graham, S, Mason, L. & Friedlander, B. (2008). Powerful writing strategies for all students. Baltimore, MD: Brookes.

2. The challenge of helping struggling writers • Generating content: • Struggling writers do not know how to access what they know in writing • They do not have as much difficulty when given the opportunity to “say” rather than “write” what they know • Making revisions • Less than 20% of revisions made by struggling writers change the original text • Revisions tend to focus on word substitution, mechanical errors, or a neater product because these “rules” are concrete and accessible.

3. Why do students struggle? • Struggling writers do not respond to the abstract terms that are a part of the writing process (brainstorm, plan, draft, and revise), even though they have received writing instruction.

4. Philosophy of the strategy • Provides struggling writers with specific, concrete strategies • Helps students by providing concrete models for “what has to happen in the mind”

5. Review of research supporting SRSD • Over 40 studies using the SRSD model of instruction have been reported (elementary through high school) • Significant findings in four main aspects of student performance: • Quality of writing • Knowledge of writing • Approach to writing • Self-efficacy • Meaningful improvements found with average-to-better writers, as well as students who score at or below the 25th percentile on writing measures • Research based practice according to CEC’s Evidence Based Practices Identification Criteria

6. “Pros” of the strategy • Little to no start up cost • Materials readily available • “transparency” of the materials • Systematic, explicit, and consistent implementation strategy for teaching

7. “Cons” of the strategy • Sheer number of strategies • Newness of strategy; many teachers may be unfamiliar with approach • Does not specifically teach mechanics of writing

8. Target audience • Wide range of students from “average-to-better” writers, as well as students who score at or below the 25th percentile on writing measures • Can be effective in one-to-one, small group, or inclusive classroom instructional setting

9. Student assessment prior toimplementation • Assessment is integrated in steps of implementation: • Stage 1: Develop background knowledge (can assess preskills here) • Stage 2: Discuss it • Stage 3: Model it (think alouds) • Stage 4: Memorize it • Stage 5: Support it (use scaffolding; critical and longest stage) • Sage 6: Independent performance (goal: “covert” self-instruction)

10. Overview of types of SRSD strategies • Word choice • Vocabulary enrichment • Story writing • POW + WWW • POW + C-SPACE • Narrative, expository, and persuasive writing • POW + TREE • STOP and DARE • Report writing • Plans • Revising • REVISE • Peer Revising • Writing for a competency tests • PLAN & WRITE • Reading and writing informational text • TWA + PLANS

11. One example • POW + WWW • Strategy for story writing • http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/srs/cresource.htm

12. Compare/contrast elements of the strategy with class Provides Strategies to support this 6 stages Variety of Strategies to Teach different writing skills Provided for In stages and specific strategies

13. Monitoring student progress • Students self evaluate (written products) • Assess changes in student writing behavior, attitudes, and cognition • Lessons in book include assessment (teacher, student) • Assess • before (cognition) • During (process) • After (final product, portfolio, benchmarks)

14. Addressing learning differences • Attention: Embedded in model, specific emphasis on scaffolding during stage 5 (support) • Spatial and sequential processing: Embedded in model • Language: Use very specific language during modeling stage • Memory: Embedded in model (allow extended use of strategy rather than memorization); book marks, etc. • higher order thinking: Embedded in model • Motor skills: Consultation with OT, HWWT, assistive technology

15. Additional resources • Interactive tutorial at: http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu • Graham, S. & Harris, K. (2005) Writing Better: Effective strategies for teaching students with learning difficulties. Baltimore, MD: Brookes • Strategy instruction website at: www.unl.edu/csi