Creative writing is now generally recognized as playing an important part in a child's development. Some educators contend it is a "must" in today's world in encouraging effective social adjustment, and good mental health in children and youth. Because creative writing grows out of the writer's own thought or feeling, it is a part of the writer himself. No matter how crude the writing may be, the writer has grown in ideas because of the experience of recording a wish, a mood, a feeling, an observation. No adult or peer group can judge the inner worth of personal satisfaction. / Typescript. / "May 1958." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science." / Advisor: Sarah Lou Hammond, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 26-27).

This experimental study examined the effects of word processing on revision and writing quality of expository compositions produced by seventh—graders. Thirty—six students in two accelerated English classes served as subjects. Prior to the experimental period, all students completed a handwritten composition (pretest) and received identical instruction in (a) composing and revising and (b) using a word processor. One intact class was randomly assigned as the experimental group. During the six-week treatment period all students wrote six compositions (three drafts per composition). The experimental group completed all composing and revising on the computer and the control group completed their compositions with pen and paper. Posttest l (produced on computer in the experimental group and by hand in the control group) and posttest 2 (handwritten in both groups) were analyzed for the frequency and types of revisions made between first and second drafts. The pretest and three posttests were analyzed for writing quality of final drafts. There were no significant differences: (a) between groups in the number of revisions in posttest l (computer written by experimental subjects and handwritten by control subjects), (b) in percentage of high—level revisions made with and without the word processor, and (c) in quality of compositions produced with and without the computer. There was a significant difference between groups in the number of revisions in handwritten compositions (posttest 2) produced by both groups after the treatment; the word processing group revised more frequently than did the group not exposed to six weeks of word processing. The experimental subjects also significantly increased in frequency of revisions from the time of posttest l (computer written) to posttest 2 (handwritten). A significant difference across time in writing quality scores was found. The findings suggested that students who compose and revise on computer can make substantially more revisions when they resume pen and paper composing and revising; however, use of the word processor does not differentially affect types of revisions attempted or writing quality. Word processors increase motivation, and adequate systems may increase the ability to detect and eliminate textual problems. Recommendations for research, theory, and instruction are discussed. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study is to find out if teaching the students how to use the writing process will improve the content of their work.

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This thesis, the outcome of nearly three years of preparation, including study, development of procedures, trial and observation, was begun in an attempt to answer the following questions: How may original writing among elementary pupils be motivated successfully? Can positive feelings about self be promoted to a measurable degree as a result of emphasizing individual oral and written expression? Although much thinking and evaluating occurred during the three years, the experimentation and results reported here are limited to the work accomplished and findings obtained during the third year. The twenty-six children involved in this study were third-year elementary pupils, whose ages ranged from seven to nine years. During the experimental period, listening, speaking, thinking, and writing were emphasized in the language arts program. A variety of topics provided subjects for written composition. To test the hypothesis that a measurable increase in self concept or self report ratings could be brought about by experiencing feelings of success and acceptance as a result of self-expression in writing, the Piers-Harris Children's Self Concept Scale was administered to two third grade classes, the experimental group and a control group, at the beginning and at the conclusion of an eight-week experimental period. Average reading scores from the Metropolitan Achievement Test, Form F, were available as an index to the ability of the two groups. During the experimental time, a writing topic was presented to the experimental group daily. Questions were used to promote discussion, elicit ideas, and encourage thinking and interest. When the majority of the group members had participated orally, and appeared to be interested and involved, paper was distributed and writing was begun. The writer could choose the form his writing was to take, and a variety of ideas could be derived from the topic presented. The result might be an account of a personal experience, original imaginative writing, rhymed or unrhymed verse, or a factual report. At the conclusion of the eight-week experimental period, self report scores of the two groups were compared. To demonstrate a significant change in score from the initial to the final report, a difference in individual raw scores of ten or more points was required. The raw scores of four subjects in the experimental group, and two subjects in the control group increased by ten or more points. However. the findings of this study indicated no significant differences to the self concepts of children in the experimental group as compared to the self concepts of children in the control group as a result of the writing treatment.

For 10 weeks, an online writing club was a place where seven children, ages 5 to 8, came together to co-construct a space for sharing favorite texts and composing practices. This study documents the ways that the writing club offered a space for children to construct shared literacy practices that allowed for new meaning-making, social relationships, and literate identities. As the researcher and facilitator of the writing club, I took up an inquiry as stance position, which provided a generative space for exploring the tensions between practice and theory. Additionally, literacy dig analysis provided an opportunity to understand the discursive elements of the popular culture texts that young children bring into their literacy practices. Taking up sociocultural and critical childhood frameworks as well as multiliteracies and multimodal models of literacy, I explored the following questions: How do young children narrate their identities and social worlds through text? What stories (narratives) and resources do young children value and take up when writing? How do young children take up the space of an informal, online writing group to pursue intellectual, social, cultural, and composing lives? Over the 10 weeks, the writing club developed into a space where telling jokes, grabbing a notebook to learn how to draw like Dav Pilkey, and creating a plan for surviving “infinity holes” signaled belonging. Children shared interests often deemed inappropriate for school spaces (e.g., consumer culture, violence, and video games) and took up ideas from popular culture (e.g., Minecraft, LOL and Calico dolls, and Captain Cage) in their composing practices. The literacies of the children in this study were mobilized by family participation, the shared and private spaces in homes, and opportunities to experiment outside of the constraints of school curricular goals and expectations. As the children engaged in transmedia and multimodal composing practices, new literate identities were revealed and established expertise in knowledge of popular culture and digital composing practices helped reposition how children were seen by their peers in the writing club. The social and composing practices of the young children in this online writing club have important implications for the ways we design writing spaces and curriculum for young children that center children’s culture, composing practices, and ways of knowing and being as important resources for teaching and learning.

The purpose of this project is to aid the classroom teacher in exposing children to poetry through a curriculum guide with enabling activities which will encourage children to develop an appreciation and understanding of poetry.

A full dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Education Presented to the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2013 / In this qualitative exploratory study the primary purpose was to examine the nature of teaching strategies employed by two Grade 3 teachers to teach writing literacy. The following research questions underpinned the study: i) What strategies are being implemented by Grade 3 teachers to develop literacy skills in their classes ii) How appropriate, relevant and potentially effective are these strategies in terms of the aspects of literacy they address and support? Interviews and video-observations of the teaching-learning process were the two methods of data collection. Through a constant interplay between what teachers do as they teach writing literacy and literature accounts of what constitutes good teaching of writing literacy, the study aimed to arrive at conclusions regarding the question on whether the teaching strategies were appropriate, relevant and have potential for effectiveness. Both the interview and observation data were analysed using the constant comparative method in order to arrive at conclusions regarding the two research questions. The study has revealed that though teaching happened in a piecemeal fashion, the teachers use a variety of good teaching strategies to develop literacy among their learners.

No description available.