A Study of the Writing of Fifth-Grade Disadvantaged Children

Abstract

In this study the compositions were examined of a subsample of fifth-grade students (N = 186) in the Longitudinal Study of Children at Risk, an on-going assessment of African-American children who began kindergarten in 1985. Additional data sources consisted of teacher, parent, and student questionnaires through the years and standardized test scores. The essays were rated on five characteristics of structure and seven of thinking/content. Analyses consisted of correlations between writing codes and survey information, gender differences, kindergarten group differences, and topic differences. An examination of the content of the essays revealed that these children were optimistic in spite of their many problems, their frequently broken families remained close and supportive, and they reflected traditional values. Their writing achievement was low. Significant correlations appeared between affective characteristics and both structure and thinking. Girls significantly outscored boys on seven variables. There were no significant differences between kindergarten groups. Mean scores for thinking progressed upward from the topic closest to children's experiences to that furthest from their experiences. The implications were that (a) affective characteristics need to be considered by teachers, (b) schools must improve writing instruction, (c) schools may need to put more emphasis on the creative aspects of writing, and (d) composition should be encouraged as early as kindergarten by letting children write any way they can.