I Never Liked to Read or Write: A Formative Experiment on the Use of a Nonfiction-Focused Writing Workshop in a Fourth Grade Classroom

Abstract

Utilizing a formative experiment, this study investigated how a nonfiction-focused writing workshop could be implemented to improve students' reading and writing. Eighteen students from a fourth grade class at a rural school in a large southeastern school district participated in the study. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected prior to and after implementation of the intervention to establish a baseline of performance and to determine student progress. Additionally, qualitative data were collected throughout the intervention. Analyses revealed that the success of the intervention related mainly to the teacher's awareness, her beliefs about her own self-efficacy, students' shared vocabulary, and students' use of strategies, whereas challenges arose primarily from requirements outside of the teacher's control. Unanticipated effects and changes to the educational environment are also discussed.

Keywords:

• elementary
• informational text
• nonfiction
• writing
• writing workshop