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Exploring the writing of struggling readers/writers in an inclusive writers' workshop

Lori Radden Thomas, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Abstract

The purpose of this multiple case study was to develop an understanding of the writing of struggling readers/writers in a single, inclusive writers' workshop program. The study focused on the writing development of three struggling readers/writers in one inclusive third grade classroom for six months. In order to describe the writing development of the informants, the researcher used qualitative techniques of participant-observation, fieldnotes, interviews, documents of the informants' writing, and notes or quotes from conversations with the secondary informant (classroom teacher). The results of this study indicate that the writing development of struggling readers/writers was influenced by an inclusive writers' workshop program. Five major themes pertaining to the writing of struggling readers/writers in a writers' workshop program emerged from the data collected. Emerging themes were: classroom routines; teacher as facilitator; students teaching others; following the leader; and writing as a social activity. The conclusions drawn were: (1) Classroom routines encouraged writing development in struggling readers/writers; (2) The teacher as a facilitator had a positive affect on the writing development of struggling readers/writers; (3) Students teaching each other contributed to the writing development of the struggling readers/writers; (4) Students in the classroom influenced the writing development of struggling readers/writers; (5) Writing was considered a social activity during Writers' Workshop. This study has significance for classroom teachers, reading specialists, school administrators, and university professors who work with pre-service teachers in illustrating the potential for inclusive writers' workshop programs.

Subject Area

Curricula|Teaching|Special education|Elementary education|Language

Recommended Citation

Thomas, Lori Radden, "Exploring the writing of struggling readers/writers in an inclusive writers' workshop" (1998). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9826102.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9826102

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