VISUALIZATION IN THE WRITING PROCESS: A CASE STUDY OF STRUGGLING K-4 LEARNERS IN A SUMMER WRITING CAMP by ERIN K. JURAND B.J., University of Texas at Austin, 1999 M.S., Kansas State University, 2005 AN ABSTRACT OF A DISSERTATION submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Curriculum and Instruction College of Education KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2008 Abstract The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (PL 107-110) drives today’s teaching environment. With the pressure not to leave any student behind, classroom teachers often request struggling students to attend summer school. This qualitative case study sought to gain a deeper understanding of how visualization embedded in the writing process may influence struggling learners in a kindergarten through fourth grade summer writing camp. The 3 ½ week summer writing camp was based on Donald Graves’ (1983/2003) writer’s workshop and writing process. The selected 19 students (K - 4) and 5 teachers in a Midwestern school district participated in the visual, learning, and literacy-rich environment. During the writing workshop, teachers gave Lucy Calkin’s (1994) inspired mini-lessons to teach struggling students how to use visualization embedded in the writing process. Students participated in 4 community-based field experiences, which served as inspiration for drawing and writing. Mental imagery has powerful effects on reading comprehension (Sadoski, 1983, 1985) and students recalled information and images from the field experiences by observing digital photographs, and then drawing and writing. Thirty-nine student art/writing samples were analyzed using Lowenfeld and Brittain’s (1975) stages of artistic development, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (2004) writing levels, and Piaget and Inhelder’s (1969/2000) stages of cognitive development. Drawing in the writing process created tangible images to help student authors in the primary grades increase their Six-Trait Analytical (Spandel, 2004) writing scores for Ideas, Organization, and Conventions. Students in the intermediate writing group also increased their writing scores in Ideas, Voice, and Conventions. In addition, the data revealed the student’s stage of artistic development reflects his or her writing level and stage of cognitive development. The involved teachers believed aspects of the summer writing camp could be incorporated throughout the school year, and they wanted to learn more about using visualization in the writing process. This study provided insight essential to better understand how visualization embedded in the writing process influences struggling learners. VISUALIZATION IN THE WRITING PROCESS: A CASE STUDY OF STRUGGLING K-4 LEARNERS IN A SUMMER WRITING CAMP by ERIN K. JURAND B.J., University of Texas at Austin, 1999 M.S., Kansas State University, 2005 A DISSERTATION submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Curriculum and Instruction College of Education KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2008 Approved by: Major Professor Dr. Marjorie Hancock Copyright ERIN K. JURAND 2008 Abstract The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (PL 107-110) drives today’s teaching environment. With the pressure not to leave any student behind, classroom teachers often request struggling students to attend summer school. This qualitative case study sought to gain a deeper understanding of how visualization embedded in the writing process may influence struggling learners in a kindergarten through fourth grade summer writing camp. The 3 ½ week summer writing camp was based on Donald Graves’ (1983/2003) writer’s workshop and writing process. The selected 19 students (K - 4) and 5 teachers in a Midwestern school district participated in the visual, learning, and literacy-rich environment. During the writing workshop, teachers gave Lucy Calkin’s (1994) inspired mini-lessons to teach struggling students how to use visualization embedded in the writing process. Students participated in 4 community-based field experiences, which served as inspiration for drawing and writing. Mental imagery has powerful effects on reading comprehension (Sadoski, 1983, 1985) and students recalled information and images from the field experiences by observing digital photographs, and then drawing and writing. Thirty-nine student art/writing samples were analyzed using Lowenfeld and Brittain’s (1975) stages of artistic development, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (2004) writing levels, and Piaget and Inhelder’s (1969/2000) stages of cognitive development. Drawing in the writing process created tangible images to help student authors in the primary grades increase their Six-Trait Analytical (Spandel, 2004) writing scores for Ideas, Organization, and Conventions. Students in the intermediate writing group also increased their writing scores in Ideas, Voice, and Conventions. In addition, the data revealed the student’s stage of artistic development reflects his or her writing level and stage of cognitive development. The involved teachers believed aspects of the summer writing camp could be incorporated throughout the school year, and they wanted to learn more about using visualization in the writing process. This study provided insight essential to better understand how visualization embedded in the writing process influences struggling learners. Table of Contents List of Figures................................................................................................................... xii List of Tables ...................................................................................................................xiii List of Student Art/Writing Samples ............................................................................... xiv Acknowledgements........................................................................................................... xv Dedication....................................................................................................................... xvii CHAPTER 1 - Introduction ................................................................................................ 1 Teacher’s Perspective..................................................................................................... 2 Overview of the Issues ................................................................................................... 3 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................... 6 Purpose of the Study....................................................................................................... 7 Research Questions ........................................................................................................ 8 Significance of the Study ............................................................................................... 9 Limitations of the Study............................................................................................... 10 Definition of Terms...................................................................................................... 12 Organization of the Study............................................................................................. 14 CHAPTER 2 - Review of Literature................................................................................. 16 Theoretical Perspectives............................................................................................... 16 Theory of Cognitive Development ........................................................................... 16 Sociolinguistic Theory .............................................................................................. 18 Theory of Multiple Intelligences .............................................................................. 21 Emerging Theory of Visual Literacy ........................................................................ 24 Artistic Developmental Stages.................................................................................. 26 Related Research .......................................................................................................... 28 Brain Research .......................................................................................................... 28 Art and Cognitive Research ...................................................................................... 30 Writing Workshop .................................................................................................... 33 Visual Literacy.......................................................................................................... 36 Literacy and Art ........................................................................................................ 40 vi Summary ...................................................................................................................... 46 CHAPTER 3 - Methodology ............................................................................................ 47 Research Design........................................................................................................... 47 Pilot Exploration........................................................................................................... 50 Role of the Researcher ................................................................................................. 52 Gaining Entry ..............................................................................................................