Research and Strategies

Language Arts by Topic Strategies and Research

The Language Arts by Topic Daily Lessons consist of daily lessons that focus on one topic for the week. Each week, students learn a focused skill such as grammar, punctuation, nouns, verbs, adjectives, word choices, sentence structures, and many more while reinforcing previously learned skills. The lessons are written to resemble that of student rough drafts, enabling students to make corrections as if they were correcting their own work.

Additionally, the lessons teach the writing domain elements separately. Persuasive, informative, and narrative topic sentences or paragraphs, their bodies, and conclusions are taught using detailed instruction, allowing students to master these uniquely different writing domains.

Strategy 1 - Non-Fiction:

Most of the Language Arts by Topic (LAT) Daily Lessons are based on grade appropriate science and social studies topics.

Research:

According to Dr. Douglas Reeves, teaching nonfiction writing is one of the most effective methods to increase student achievement.

Doing What Works, a research project funded by the U.S. Department of Education, found that students can benefit from using writing across different subject areas. When students write about what they are learning, they can become more engaged and gain a deeper understanding of new information and concepts. Writing can also help students make connections and think critically.

Strategy 2 - Teaches Skills in Context:

All LAT Daily Lessons teach all writing skills realistically and in context – not in isolation. The weekly lessons are based on the same topic. When students correct the projected LAT Daily Lessons, which resemble rough drafts, they learn to make immediate, relevant connections when they write their own rough drafts. This learning exercise is reinforced by the lessons and writing assignments focusing on the same topic.

Research:

According to Calkins, DiStefano, Killion, and Harris, students must learn skills in context. What works better is teaching selected aspects of grammar (including sentence variety and style, punctuation, and usage) in the context of students writing - that is when they are revising and editing.

In Michelle Navarre Cleary’s article in the Atlantic, stated that grammar instruction that works includes teaching students’ strategies for revising and editing, providing targeted lessons on problems that students immediately apply to their own writing.

Strategy 3 - Creates Enthusiastic and Motivated Learners:

Students learn grammar and good writing mechanics by working in competitive, cooperative teams. As students make their corrections, points are awarded to their team. Points vary by the difficulty of the corrections. The lessons are differentiated, so all students are able to make corrections. But the differentiation also encourages students to make more difficult corrections so their team can earn more points. This game-like method creates enthusiastic and motivated learners, while also instilling a positive attitude toward writing.

Research:

According to Joseph Renzulli, the characteristics for exemplary learning are enjoyment, engagement, and enthusiasm.

Strategy 4- Immediate Feedback:

Students receive immediate feedback as they correct the LAT Daily Lessons.

Research:

Professor James Pennebaker from the University of Texas at Austin has been researching the benefits of frequent testing and the feedback it leads to. He explains that in the history of the study of learning, the role of feedback has always been central: “When people are trying to learn new skills, they must get some information that tells them whether or not they are doing the right thing.

Strategy 5 Working in Collaborative Teams:

Students work in collaborative teams to correct the LAT Daily Lessons.

Research:

According to Hillock, the best strategy which he dubbed was “environmental” lessons, when students worked together in collaborative groups to work on problem solving writings tasks.

Strategy 6- Daily Modeling of Good Writing:

After students correct the LAT Daily Lessons, they have an example of good writing. This also shows them that good writing consists of revising and editing, and they learn to make the appropriate corrections in their own writings.

Research:

Professor Kristin Locketz found that the benefits of modeling for all ages are numerous, but as this research has shown one key benefit, building self-efficacy, is one that can lead to improved results and greater internal satisfaction for the student.

Strategy 7 - Independent Reading:

Most of the Language Arts by Topic (LAT) Daily Lessons are based on grade appropriate science and social studies topics.

Note:

Though the research below is slightly different because it refers to student selected readings, many of the findings still apply. Additionally, students have the added advantage of learning new and more challenging vocabulary because the teacher is readily available.

Research:

The advancement of reading comprehension skills and development of vocabulary are directly tied to the work readers do during independent reading. In fact, “reading is a powerful means of developing reading comprehension ability, writing style, vocabulary, grammar, and spelling.

Strategy 8 - Learn Public Speaking While Young:

Many adults cite public speaking as their single biggest fear. However, The Write Connection students learn public speaking skills in a safe environment before they know it can be fearful. After students make a correction on the LAT Daily Lesson, they explain why they made the correction and earn additional points. This teaches students critical thinking skills, academic language, and how to speak in complete sentences. In Levels 3 - 5, students are taught more advanced public speaking skills such as eye contact, posture, hand movements, voice inflection, staying on topic, and using visual aids. They also give informative and persuasive speeches using the provided content, helping them develop self-confidence and master this feared skill while still young.

Research:

Evelin Herbeina, Jessika Gollea, Maike Tibusa, Julia Schiefera, Ulrich Trautweina, and Ingo Zettlerb have called for an early promotion of public speaking skills. Even elementary school children need to give informative public speeches, but the promotion of public speaking skills of this age group has been neglected in research and practice.

Ardita Osmanaj discovered that the younger the students are, the less they fear public speaking.

Language Arts by Topic Tests Strategies and Research

The Write Connection implements the following strategies when students correct their own tests with teacher guidance.

Strategy 1- Immediate Feedback:

When students are correcting their own tests with teacher guidance, they have immediate feedback.

Research:

Strategy 2- Student Own their Own Successes:

Students own the own successes while self-correcting their tests.

Research:

The National Center on Scaling up Effective Schools initial findings indicated that the practice of increasing student ownership and responsibility for their academic success was a distinguishing feature of schools with higher-student achievement.

Quick Writes Strategies and Research

Quick Writes consist of prompts that are loosely related to the Language Arts by Topic Daily Lessons. They are a mixture of imaginative, opinionated, and informative prompts. They are not graded.

Strategy - Daily Writing:

From Levels 2 - 5 students write three times a week using a prompt.

Research:

Doing What Works, a research project funded by the U.S. Department of Education, found that learning to write takes time and practice, and research suggests that more time for writing is essential.

Pre-Writes Strategies and Research

Pre-Writes consist of the following:

Levels K-2 - fill in the blanks, sentence starters, and questions, Levels 3-5 - sentence starters, questions, outlines, and Internet links. To provide differentiated instruction, two levels are provided for most Pre-Writes. During the year, the Pre-Writes become progressively more difficult and provide many opportunities for students to write by doing their own research and developing their own topics.

More Strategies:

A way to bridge the gap between organizers and writing.
A method to organize students’ thoughts.
Increased comprehension and independent reading.
Differentiated support.
Internet link allowing students to easily research and add in more content.

Research:

Research according to Mike Schmoker, the Pre-Writes are one of the key elements for a good writing program.

Rubric System Strategies and Research

Our Meaningful Rubric System is a set of incremental value-based rules using student friendly language. This allows students to understand their teachers’ expectations and gain control of their work. Each writing domain has its own incremental set of Rubrics that are aligned with the skills taught in the Language Arts by Topic - Daily Lessons.

Strategy 1- Use Clear and Concise Language:

The Rubrics consist of clear and concise language using a few simple words.

Strategy 2- Reinforcement:

The Rubrics reinforce the skills that are taught in the Language Arts by Topic Daily Lessons.

Research:

According to Cox, Morrison, Brathwaite, “A rubric is only as good as its design, support and explanation in its use and conversely the expectations from the use of the rubric should enhance the learning outcomes for the students. Without this, a rubric can lead to promotion of shallow learning whilst producing conformity and standardization.”

Easy to understand rules.
Incremental steps.
Mastering skills step by step.
A clear road map to success.
Reinforcing the Language Arts by Topic Daily Lessons’ skills.
Students gaining control of their work.
Understanding teachers’ expectations.
Providing teacher’s documentation and accountability.