K-12 Topic: Interesting Research (4)

10-second review: Variety of topics and findings in recent research.

Title: “Annotated of Bibliography of Research in the Teaching of English.” ed. R Beach, et al. Research in the Teaching of English (RTE) (November 2008), 188-235. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

1. Writing Error Counts: How have errors changed in student writing between 1986 and 2006? “Concludes that error rates have remained relatively stable compared to previous studies, with some shifts in the types of errors.”
[Comment: Maybe we’re not emphasizing error correction enough. Correcting errors is part of polishing prose. RayS.]
AA Lunsford and J Lunsford. (2008). “Mistakes Are A Fact of Life: A National Comparative Study.” College Composition and Communication, 50 (4), 781-805. RTE (November 2008), 228.

2. Planning Writing: Do proficient writers plan their writing more than less proficient writers? “Finds that the writer’s level of proficiency influenced the amount devoted to planning.”
[Comment: Then planning is a part of proficiency? RayS.]
RM Manchon and JR DeLorios. (2007). “On the Temporal Nature of Planning in L1 and L2 Composing.” Language Learning, 57 (4), 549-593. RTE (November 2008), 229.

3. Revision and Writing: Do students making revisions online recognize that they are making revisions? 14- and 16-year olds. “Although all students engaged in online revision of some kind, it is not clear that the students think of this as revision.”
[Comment: So long as they make the revisions, who cares what they call it? RayS.]
D Myhill and S Jones. (2007). “More Than Error Correction: Students’ Perspectives on Their Revision Processes During Writing.” Written Communication, 24 (4), 323-343. RTE (November 2008), 224.

4. Writing Process: What is the relationship between proficiency in writing and planning, evaluation and revision? “More time was devoted to planning, evaluation and revision as proficiency increased.”
[Comment: The use of the writing process does improve the writing product? RayS.]
J Toca DeLarios, R Manchon, L Murphy and J Marin. (2008). “The Foreign Language Writer’s Strategic Behavior in the Allocation of Time to Writing Processes.” Journal of Second Language Writing, 17 (1), 30-47. RTE (November 2008), 230.

5. Writing Process: Does teachers’ modeling of the writing process improve the writing product? “Students practiced strategies for planning and writing stories, and then revised their stories after instructor modeling of revising. Finds that students’ stories [second grade, with disabilities] at post-instruction were longer, more complete and qualitatively better.”
[Comment: More evidence that teaching students how to complete the writing process produces a better written product. RayS.]
B Saddler and K Asaro. (2007). “Increasing Story Quality Through Planning and Revising: Effects on Young Writers with Learning Disabilities.” Learning Disability Quarterly, 30 (4), 228-234. RTE (November 2008), p. 230.