Self-regulated strategies development for improving the writing skills of students with internalizing behavior patterns and writing concerns.

Abstract

To date only a handful of studies have been conducted to investigate improving the writing skills of students with EBD and only 1 evaluating the effects of writing on students at risk for internalizing behavior problems. This is concerning considering writing in communication and expression of feelings. The effects of Self-Regulated Strategy Development (Harris & Graham, 1996) on persuasive writing, academic engagement, and disruptive behaviors of 6 second grade students with internalizing behavioral concerns and co-occurring limited writing abilities was examined in this study. Results suggest improvements in the number of essay elements included, essay lengths, and to a lesser extent, the quality of essays after SRSD instruction for persuasive writing. Functional relations between SRSD instruction and behavioral outcomes were not established.