How Is the Development of Writing Affected Through the Establishment of a Common Language

Cherise Storlie-Kristoffersen

How is the development of writing affected through the establishment of a common language using the tools of analytic trait scoring and a writing continuum? Purpose and Summary

The purpose of this study is to explore how the development of literacy, specifically writing, is affected through the establishment of a common language (felles begrepsapparat) through use of primarily analytic trait scoring and secondarily supported by a writing continuum in the teaching and learning of writing. By explicitly using a common language in a common environment the aim is to provide a “toolkit” within the educational circles of the child that can be used to create pieces of writing over an extended period of time with the same "tools” being used to discuss the learning process. Wertsch writes, “A toolkit approach allows group and contextual differences in mediated action to be understood in terms of the array of mediational means to which people have access and the patterns of choice they manifest in selecting a particular means for a particular occasion.”

How can writing development be affected by developing common terminology to use trait based scoring in assessment for learning supported by the writing continuum that focuses on the individual writer’s growth? In other words, can we document differences in writing performance between two groups of students–one group of teachers “teaching site” systematically taught how to use seven analytical traits of writing and a developmental writing continuum and supported in using this intervention with the whole class while the other group of teachers at the “control site” continued to teach writing without any type of intervention. This mixed method study will analyze the data of both the group as a whole and focus on a small sample of individual students. The quantitative portion will contain approximately 150 student pre and post writing samples to calculate the changes that have occurred in the writing. Qualitative methods will address approximately eighteen learners at various levels and the participating teachers through work samples, observations, interviews, and surveys.

The creation of a common language or common terminology is at the core of this research with two tools supporting the development of this common language for the teaching and learning of writing the primary tool being analytic trait scoring that analyzes the each piece of writing and the secondary tool being the writing continuum to address where the writer is and assist each individual writer forward in writing. Assessing Writers with Focus on the Writer

Trait Writing Writing Continuum

Common Language (felles Looks at the phase the Formative and begrepsapparat) writer is in to move the summative writing forward assessment for a Strengths based piece of writing to move the writer Framework forward