Epistles of a Writer: A Case Study of Writing Instruction in Middle Grades

The dissertation, “Epistles of a Writer: A Case Study of Writing Instruction in Middle Grades,” by Heather Smith PowellThis dissertation stemmed from the plethora of research on writing instruction in middle and secondary grades. Studies showed that writing proficiency for students in grades 4 - 12 was difficult, particularly with students on free and reduced lunch programs along with African American and Hispanic students. The literature offered many strategies for teaching students the writing skills they will need, but consistency of instruction among institutions seemed lacking. Middle school is a particularly challenging time for young people as they mature simultaneously in social, emotional, and cognitive ways. Writing instruction for this age group must address the complexities mentioned along with differentiating for individual learning needs. My study addressed as many of these factors as possible. I established the research as a qualitative, comparative case study that sought to examine the writing instruction occurring in two middle school language arts classes. The dichotomy for the comparison was that one class was the most accelerated in the 7th grade while the other was the lowest level group. Over the course of 5 months, I observed both classes, interviewed both teachers, and collected writing samples from random students in each class. This fascinating, bird’s eye view revealed much about writing instruction, student reaction to the instruction, as well as interesting backgrounds of both teacher participants. This study yielded recommendations for new middle school language arts teachers, middle school administrators, curriculum directors, and teacher preparation programs. Writing instruction can be intimidating for teachers and students, and state writing exams tend to create a rather formulaic type of essay to be prominent in most curriculums. After completing my case study and doing a thorough search of the current literature, I believe that a multidimensional understanding of writing must be taught to teacher candidates. Authentic writing assignments can introduce students to a variety of genres while giving practical, real world experience to the students in lieu of a prescribed essay. From teaching 8th grade language arts, I learned that students make connections to literature and to life when given the tools to do so. Hopefully, a more integrated approach to middle school writing instruction will not only improve the writing proficiency of all students but will also allow writing to function as a tool for learning as well as a method for self-expression and definition.Lorraine C. Schmertzing; Richard W. Schmertzing; Herbert R. Fiester; Lisa Jones-Moore