Case Study

After watching the instructor’s lectures, and examining the STAR sheets for writing strategies, choose one of the Case Studies listed below and answer the questions at the bottom.

You can choose either Henry or Jessica.

I attached Henry individually because I could, however, his narrative is in the booklet that is labeled Jessica. The booklet has the strategies included that should be referred too.

Let me know if this doesn’t make sense.

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Written Expression: Grades 2–5
Level B • Case 2

CASE STUDY

Background
Student: Henry
Age: 10 .4
Grade: 5
Focus: Persuasive Writing

Scenario
Henry is an outgoing boy who does well in all his classes; however, recently he has been
demonstrating some negative behaviors in writing class . Henry’s teacher, Ms . Faz, has heard (on
multiple occasions) Henry saying, “I can’t do this! I hate writing!”

During a conference with Henry, he tells Ms . Faz that he used to like to write, but this year the
assignments seem a lot harder . When the teacher gives him a writing assignment, he has no idea
where to begin .
Ms . Faz has the following instructional goal:

• Given a writing prompt, Henry will write a persuasive essay, clearly articulating his point of
view, providing supporting arguments, and refuting opposing arguments .

Possible Activities
• Planning and Organizing Strategies: Persuasive Essays

! ! AssignmentAssignment
1 . Read the Introduction and the Planning and Organizing Strategies: Persuasive Essays STAR

sheet for the possible strategies .
2 . Explain how each of the two writing strategies could be used to assist Henry in reaching his

instructional goal .
3 . Ms . Faz was planning to teach her students the STOP and DARE strategy . Do you think this

strategy will help Henry met his goal? Why or why not?
4 . Decide on two self-regulatory statements that Ms . Faz could use when modeling the strategy

for Henry .

I think we should have home work for these reasons. We can learn.
It will help us on are homework. It will help me. I will be may be board
but it will help me because I will learn more. I like math homework
especially unless I have to write about math. I like that I can be alone
when I do my homework. I’m happy that we have homework. I will
improve in school if I have homework. I like homework because it can be
fun. I feel so happy because we have homework.

032522

iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu or iriscenter.com

Serving: Higher Education Faculty • PD Providers • Practicing Educators
Supporting the preparation of effective educators to improve outcomes for all students, especially struggling learners and those with disabilities

CASE STUDY UNIT

Written Expression
Grades 2–5

Created by Torri Lienemann, PhD, Concordia University, Nebraska
Robert Reid, Professor Emeritus, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

iiris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu

The contents of this resource were developed under a grant from
the U.S. Department of Education, #H325E120002. However,
those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S.
Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement
by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Sarah Allen

Written Expression
Grades 2–5

Contents: Page

Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ii
Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
STAR Sheets

Planning and Organizing Strategies: Narratives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Planning and Organizing Strategies: Persuasive Essays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Planning and Organizing Strategies:

Revising Strategies

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Case Studies
Level A, Case 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Level A, Case 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Level B, Case 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Level B, Case 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Level B, Case 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Level C, Case 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Level C, Case 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

TABLE OF CONTENTS

* For an Answer Key to this case study, please email your full name, title, and institutional
affiliation to the IRIS Center at iris@vanderbilt .edu .

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To Cite This
Case Study Unit

Lienemann, T ., Reid, R ., & the IRIS Center . (2009) . Written expression:
Grades 2–5. Retrieved from https://iris .peabody .vanderbilt .edu/wp-content/
uploads/pdf_case_studies/ics_writex

Content
Contributors

Torri Lienemann PhD
Robert Reid
2009

Case Study
Developers Zina Yzquierdo

Editor Jason Miller

Reviewers
Susan DeLa Paz
Brucer Saddler
Linda Mason

Graphics

Erik Dunton
Pgs 2 & 7—Adapted from “Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students, by K .
R . Harris, S . Graham, L . Mason, and B . Friedlander, 2008, p . 116; graphics
by Jason Phelan/IRIS
Clipart: Microsoft Clipart
Page 15- Adapted from Harris, K ., R ., Graham, S . Mason, L ., & Friedlander,
B ., 2008, p . 281, Graphics by Erik Dunton/IRIS

Written Expression
Grades 2–5

CREDITS

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Written Expression
Grades 2–5

STANDARDS

Licensure and Content Standards
This IRIS Case Study aligns with the following licensure and program standards and topic areas .

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
CAEP standards for the accreditation of educators are designed to improve the quality and
effectiveness not only of new instructional practitioners but also the evidence-base used to assess those
qualities in the classroom .

• Standard 1: Content and Pedagogical Knowledge

Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
CEC standards encompass a wide range of ethics, standards, and practices created to help guide
those who have taken on the crucial role of educating students with disabilities .

• Standard 5: Instructional Planning and Strategies

Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC)
InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards are designed to help teachers of all grade levels and content
areas to prepare their students either for college or for employment following graduation .

• Standard 8: Instructional Strategies

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
NCATE standards are intended to serve as professional guidelines for educators . They also overview
the “organizational structures, policies, and procedures” necessary to support them .

• Standard 1: Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Professional Dispositions

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This case study set presents a number of writing strategies for helping students in the elementary and
middle-school grades who struggle with writing . In order for students to benefit from instruction in
written expression they must possess some prerequisite skills . These are:

• Transcription skills: handwriting and spelling
• Grammar skills: knowledge of sentence form and structure

Students who struggle with writing often demonstrate little knowledge of the process involved .
Specifically, these students have difficulty with what are called the lower-level skills (e .g ., handwriting,
spelling, or grammar) as well as the higher-level skills (e .g ., idea formulation and topic selection,
planning, producing, or organizing and revising text) .
The preferred method of implementing the strategies outlined in this case study set is to use the Self-
Regulation Strategy Development (SRSD) model, which, as the title implies, requires students to utilize
self-regulation strategies . For those without this knowledge, we recommend that you view the IRIS
Modules:

• SRSD: Using Learning Tips for Enhance Student Learning
• SOS: Helping Students Become Independent Learners

SRSD is a research-validated model that involves explicitly and systematically teaching a strategy .
Though the SRSD model is sequential in nature, it nevertheless allows teachers to revisit stages of the
process when the learning needs of their students require them to do so . The SRSD model is composed
of the following stages:

Written Expression
Grades 2–5

INTRODUCTION

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Stages of the SRSD Model
Stage 1:
Develop and Activate
Background Knowledge

Before teaching any Tips for students, teachers should evaluate students’
skills (e .g ., task analyze writing skills—Are students able to write and
spell with reasonable fluency? Can students name and describe the
parts of a story?) .

Stage 2:
Discuss the Strategy

Talk with the students about the strategy you are going to teach them .
Discuss its advantages, how it can help them in their assignments, and
when it should be used .

Stage 3: Model the Strategy The teacher talks aloud throughout modeling as he or she goes over the
steps in the strategy, describes what the students will do at each step,
and demonstrates how the strategy is used . (Note: It is often helpful for
the teacher to use a script .)

Stage 4:
Memorize the Strategy

Make sure that students memorize the steps and procedures in the
strategy .

Stage 5:
Support the Strategy

Practice using the strategy with the students . For example, a student
and teacher could write a story collaboratively . Initially, the teacher will
support the implementation of the strategy . Over time, the teacher will
decrease this support .

Stage 6: Independent
Performance

Evaluate the students’ ability to independently apply the strategy . To
support generalization of the strategy, the students should be given
opportunities to apply the strategy in different contexts (e .g ., different
classes) . To support maintenance of the strategy, the students should be
asked to apply the strategy in the weeks and months after instruction .

Self-Regulation Strategies Key Ideas
Self-regulation is the ability to control one’s behavior . When used in conjunction with learning in the
classroom, it is the method or procedure that learners use to manage their learning . Students who
practice self-regulation strategies are often more active participants in their learning, aware of their
thought processes, motivated, and independent . Self-regulation includes four areas, which can be used
independently or in combination:

• Self-monitoring – a technique that requires students to keep track of their progress and record
the results .

• Self-instruction – a technique that involves students talking themselves through a task or
activity (e .g ., “I can do it!”, “First, I pick my topic .”) .

• Goal setting – a technique in which the student and the teacher determine what the student is
trying to achieve and how to get there .

• Self-reinforcement – a technique in which students select reinforcers and reward themselves
for reaching or exceeding a criterion .

Note: Research indicates that the SRSD model is more effective at improving writing performance
than are all other instructional approaches . We recommend the use of this model to teach the writing
strategies that are presented in this case study set .

☆
What a STAR Sheet is…What a STAR Sheet is…
A STAR (STrategies And Resources) Sheet provides you with a description of a well-
researched strategy that can help you solve the case studies in this unit .

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Planning and Organizing Strategies:
Narratives

STAR SHEET

About the Strategy
Planning and organizing is a necessary pre-writing exercise that includes knowing the components of
the writing assignment, selecting a topic, and brainstorming ideas to include in the composition .
Narratives are stories that can be presented in different ways (e .g ., short story, drama, song) .
Narrative elements include sequential story events—typically about something specific—and a
character whose actions are mitigated by an intention or need . Finally, an unforeseen occurrence
might transpire, resulting in a dilemma for the character .

What the Research and Resources Say
• Researchers have found that when students have specific knowledge about writing elements

(e .g ., the parts of a story) their writing development and quality increases (Olinghouse &
Graham, 2009) .

• Students in primary grades do not spend sufficient writing time planning and revising

connected text . Their writing improves when they are taught these skills (Cutler & Graham,
2008) .

• One of the most common types of writing assignments in which primary grade students
participate is narrative writing (Cutler & Graham, 2008) .

• Compared to their peers, struggling writers, including those with learning disabilities, have
difficulty planning and organizing their writing and benefit from using writing strategies
(Saddler & Graham, 2005; Baker, Gersten, & Graham, 2003) .

Strategies to Implement
The following strategies help students to systematically plan and organize their narratives . When used
with the SRSD model, these strategies have been scientifically validated and have been shown to
improve students’ narratives and story writing .
POW + WWW, What = 2, How = 2
POW + WWW, What = 2, How = 2 is a strategy that helps students write better stories . The POW
component of the strategy is designed to help students pick their idea, organize (i .e ., plan), and write
their story . The WWW, What = 2, How = 2 component is intended to help students organize their
notes (the “O” in POW) .

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(Adapted from Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students, by K. R. Harris, S. Graham, L. Mason, and B. Friedlander, 2008, p. 116)

POW + C-SPACE
The POW + C-SPACE strategy is designed to help students develop a writing plan and think about
the details that should be included in stories . The POW component of the strategy is designed to help
students to pick their idea, organize (i .e ., plan), and write their story . The C-SPACE component of the
strategy is designed to help students to organize their notes (the “O” in POW) .

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(Adapted from Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students, by K . R . Harris, S . Graham, L . Mason, and B . Friedlander, 2008, p . 148)

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Graphic organizer for WWW, What=2, How=2

ExamplesExamples

Cue cards for C-SPACE

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Tips for Implementation
• Increase the frequency of writing assignments . Writing proficiency is a predictor of academic

success for students in school, and it increases student knowledge .
• Teach and use varied vocabulary with students to increase effective writing .
• After students have completed a narrative, instruct them to label its elements (e .g ., setting,

characters, feelings) to ensure that they have included the necessary components .
• Allow students to use graphic organizers to help plan or organize their stories .
• Make cue cards to help students to plan or organize their stories .

Keep In Mind

• Students may lack background knowledge necessary for writing a narrative .
• In some cases, students may have knowledge on a topic but fail to activate this background

knowledge .
• Students must understand specific concepts related to writing narratives (e .g ., sequence of

events, problem or conflict, resolution) in order to be successful writers .

Resources
Baker, S ., Gersten, R ., & Graham, S . (2003) . Teaching expressive writing to students with learning

disabilities: Research-based applications and examples . Journal of Learning Disabilities, 36,
109–123 .

Cutler, L ., & Graham, S . (2008) . Primary grade writing instruction: A national survey . Journal of
Educational Psychology, 100(4), 907–919 .

Harris, K . R ., Graham, S ., Mason, L ., & Friedlander, B . (2008) . Powerful writing strategies for all
students. Baltimore, MD: Brookes .

McKeough, A ., Palmer, J ., Jarvey, M ., & Bird, S . (2007) . Best narrative writing practices when
teaching from a developmental framework. In S . Graham, C . A . MacArthur, & J . Fitzgerald
(Eds .), Best Practices in Writing Instruction (p . 53) . New York: The Guilford Press .

Persky, H . R ., Daane, M . C ., & Jin, Y . (2003) . The nation’s report card: Writing 2002. (NCES
2003–529) . U .S . Department of Education . Institute of Education Sciences . National Center for
Education . Statistics . Washington, DC: Government Printing Office .

Olinghouse, N ., & Graham, S . (2009) . The relationship between the discourse knowledge and the
writing performance of elementary-grade students . Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(1),
37–50 .

Reid, R ., & Lienemann, T . O . (2006) . Strategy instruction for students with learning disabilities. New
York: The Guilford Press .

Saddler, B ., & Graham, S . (2005) . The effects of peer-assisted sentence combining instruction
on the writing performance of more and less skilled young writers . Journal of Educational
Psychology, 97, 43–54 .

It should be stressed that how a strategy is taught is what ultimately
determines its effectiveness . One highly effective and empirically proven
model is the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model .

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STAR SHEET
Planning and Organizing Strategies:

Persuasive Essays

About the Strategy
Planning and organizing is a necessary pre-writing exercise that involves knowing the components of
the writing assignment, selecting a topic, and brainstorming ideas to include in the composition .
Persuasive writing is a type of writing that informs the audience (e .g ., teacher, peers) of the writer’s
opinion or thoughts about a specific topic .

What the Research and Resources Say
• Students in primary grades do not spend sufficient writing time planning and revising

connected text . Their writing improves when they are taught these skills (Cutler & Graham,
2008) .

• Compared to their peers, students who struggle with writing, including those with learning
disabilities, have difficulty planning and organizing their writing and benefit from using
writing strategies (Baker, Gersten, & Graham, 2003) .

• Though persuasive writing assignments are used less frequently with students in the primary
grades, students in these grades can learn to use persuasive writing (Cutler & Graham,
2008) .

• Young students are capable of understanding writing for an audience (e .g ., teacher, self,
peer), an important feature of writing persuasive essays (Dray, Selman, & Schultz, 2009) .

• When producing persuasive text, students are able to pull from their understanding of an
important social issue (Dray, Selman, & Schultz, 2009) .

• By the time many students graduate from high school, they do not have the writing skills they
need in college or in the work force (Achieve, 2005; Kiuhara, Graham, & Hawken, 2009) .

Strategies to Implement
The following strategies help students to systematically plan and write persuasive essays . These
strategies have been scientifically validated and have been shown to improve students’ writing .
POW + TREE
POW + TREE is a strategy that helps students to convey their opinions in their essays . The POW
component of the strategy is designed to help students pick their idea, organize (i .e ., plan), and write
their story . The TREE component is intended to help students organize their notes (the “O” in POW) .

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STOP and DARE
STOP and DARE is another strategy students can use to plan and organize persuasive essays . The
strategy has two mnemonics components, which are designed to emphasize reflection and planning .
The STOP mnemonic helps students to plan and organize their persuasive essays .

Suspend Judgment: Students consider each side of the topic before taking a position .
Take a Side: Determine which side will have the
strongest argument or which side you believe in .
Organize Ideas: Select ideas that make powerful
arguments by putting an asterisk next to the ideas
that you want to be sure and use . Identify several
arguments that you will refute . Put your ideas in
numerical order .
Plan More as You Write: Keep planning as you
continue to write .

Use the DARE mnemonic as a reminder to use all of the
components of a good essay .
Develop a Topic Sentence
Add supporting Ideas
Reject Arguments for the Opposing Side
End with a Conclusion

(Adapted from Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students, by K. R. Harris, S. Graham, L. Mason, and B. Friedlander, 2008, p. 223)

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ExamplesExamples
Graphic organizer for the TREE component of the POW+TREE strategy

(Adapted from De La Paz, S. 2001; Harris, K. R., Graham, S., Mason, L., & Friedlander, B. 2008, p. 185)

Cue cards with transition words that students can use in their persuasive essays

(Adapted from De La Paz, S. 2001; Harris, K. R., Graham, S., Mason, L., & Friedlander, B. 2008, p. 226)

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Tips for Implementation
• Make sure that students understand the elements of a persuasive essay . When students are

organizing their notes, ask them to recall and be sure to include these elements .
• Remind students that the topic sentence reveals the writer’s opinion as well as what the essay

will be about .
• Allow students to use graphic organizers to help plan or organize their persuasive essays .
• Make cue cards to help students to plan or organize their persuasive essays .

Keep in Mind

• Strategies such as STOP and DARE are commonly combined with self-regulation strategies .
See the introduction to this module to learn more about using the Self-Regulation Strategy
Development model .

• When students understand both sides of the argument, it helps them to further develop their
counter argument .

• Good writers plan before they begin . Good planning leads to better arguments .
• Taking part in pre-writing activities helps students to generate ideas about what they already

know about their topic .

Resources
Achieve, Inc . (2005) . Rising to the challenge: Are high school graduates prepared for college and

work? Washington, DC: Author .
Baker, S ., Gersten, R ., & Graham, S . (2003) . Teaching expressive writing to students with learning

disabilities: Research-based applications and examples . Journal of Learning Disabilities, 36,
109–123 .

Cutler, L ., & Graham, S . (2008) . Primary grade writing instruction: A national survey . Journal of
Educational Psychology, 100(4), 907–919 .

De La Paz, S . (2001) . Stop and DARE: A persuasive writing strategy . Intervention in School and
Clinic, 36, 234–243 .

Dray, A . J ., Selman, R . L ., & Schultz, L . H . (2009) . Communicating with intent: A study of social
awareness and children’s writing . Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 30(2), 116–
128 .

Graham, S ., & Harris, K . (2007) . Best practices in teaching planning. In S . Graham, C . A .
MacArthur, & J . Fitzgerald (Eds .), Best Practices in Writing Instruction (p . 138) . New York: The
Guilford Press .

Graham, S ., & Perin, D . (2007) . Writing next: Effective Tips for improve writing of adolescents in
middle and high schools. New York: Carnegie Corporation of New York .

It should be stressed that how a strategy is taught is what ultimately
determines effectiveness . One highly effective and empirically proven
model is the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model .

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STAR SHEET

Harris, K . R ., Graham, S ., Mason, L ., & Friedlander, B . (2008) . Powerful writing strategies for all
students. Baltimore, MD: Brookes .

Harris, K . R ., Santangelo, T ., & Graham, S . (2008) . Self-regulated strategy development in writing:
Going beyond NLEs to a more balanced approach . Instructional Science, 36, 395–408 .

Kiuhara S . A ., Graham, S ., & Hawken, L . S . (2009) . Teaching writing to high school students: A
national survey . Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(1), 136–160 .

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About the Strategy
Revising is the process of adding, deleting, or changing written text for the purpose of improving
clarity and cohesion . It is a critical part of writing a composition . This process consists of:

• Identifying a discrepancy between the text and the writer’s intent
• Determining the problem and deciding what should be changed and how to change it
• Making the changes

What the Research and Resources Say
• Students in primary grades do not spend sufficient writing time planning and revising

connected text . Their writing improves when they are taught these skills (Cutler & Graham,
2008) .

• Skilled writers edit and revise their writing by making content revisions, editing their spelling,
capitalization, and punctuation, and by improving the overall appearance of their writing;
whereas, less skilled writers tend not to review or make such corrections (Saddler & Graham,
2007) .

• Students who struggle with writing, including those with learning disabilities, typically have
trouble with the revision process (Graham & Harris, 2003) .

Strategies to Implement
There are a number of revising strategies that help students to revise written compositions . This section
contains scientifically validated strategies that help students revise their writing .

STAR SHEET
Planning and Organizing Strategies:

Revising Strategies

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Compare, Diagnose, Operate
The Compare, Diagnose, Operate strategy helps students to revise their compositions . Students can
use this strategy to revise their own writing or that of their peers . This strategy consists of four steps as
outlined below:
Compare: Read the text.

Find sentences in which you can add to, delete, or move sentences .
Diagnose: What is wrong?

Something doesn’t sound quite right!

The intention was not made .

The essay is out of sequence .

The reader may not understand what was meant .

The text is drifting from the main point .

The idea is incomplete or weak .
Operate: What do I need to do?

Add more information (details, examples) .

Omit a particular part of the text (phrase, sentence) .

Rewrite the text in different way .

Rearrange the wording .
Operate: Do it!

Make the revisions .
(Adapted from Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students, by K. R. Harris, S. Graham, L. Mason, and B. Friedlander, 2008, p. 299)

The

Six Steps for Revising (including SCAN)

The Six Steps for Revising strategy, including SCAN, is used for revising persuasive essays . The SCAN
strategy is embedded in the Six Steps in order to help students to check each of their sentences for
clarity, relevance, and grammar errors .

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(Adapted from Harris, K. R., Graham, S., Mason, L., & Friedlander, B., 2008, p. 281)

WRITER
WRITER is a strategy that addresses revisions for any type of writing . It contains the sub-strategy
COPS to help with surface revisions (i .e ., capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and overall
appearance) .

COPS

Write on every other line to leave room for edits

Read the paper for meaning

Interrogate yourself using the COPS strategy:

C = Have I Capitalized the first word and all
proper nouns?

O = How is the Overall appearance?

P = Have I used end Punctuation, commas,
and semicolons correctly?

S = Do the words look like they are Spelled
right, can I sound them out, or should I
use the dictionary?

Take the paper to someone else to proofread

Execute a final copy

Reread your paper a final time

Six Steps for Revising (including SCAN)

1 . Read the essay
2 . Identify the sentence that tells the opinion or belief . Is it clearly

written?
3 . Give two reasons why you believe it?
4 . Use SCAN on each sentence:
SS = Does it make SSense
CC = Is it CConnected to my belief?
AA = Can you AAdd more?
NN = NNote errors?
5 . Make changes as necessary
6 . Reread the essay and make more changes .

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ExamplesExamples
Cue card for COPS

Cue cards for SCAN

(Adapted from Harris, K. R., Graham, S., Mason, L., & Friedlander, B., 2008, p. 281)

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Tips for Implementation
• Evaluate students’ knowledge of writing . Students who struggle with writing, including

those with learning disabilities, may lack the knowledge to determine whether important
components of a genre (e .g ., settings or topic sentences) are missing .

• Evaluate the extent to which the students realize that they are writing for an audience (e .g .,
teacher, peer) and that, depending on that audience, they we might write differently .

• Remind students that good writers revise their work—and good writing can improve grades!
• Teach students how to use the caret symbol (^) to show when they want to add information to

their compositions .
• Help students understand that sometimes writers do not write what they intended to say .
• When students comment that an essay does not need any revisions, help them to understand

that most writing can be improved .
• Cue cards can be used to support students in revising their compositions .

Keep in Mind

• Students may lack an awareness of their audience (e .g ., teacher, self, peer) .
• The revision process can occur at any time during writing, and revisions can range from

surface level (e .g ., spelling, punctuation) to those that involve additions, reorganizations, or
changes to the meaning of text .

• Language difficulties (e .g ., expressing ideas, limited vocabulary) may inhibit effective
editing .

Resources
Cutler, L ., & Graham, S . (2008) . Primary grade writing instruction: A national survey . Journal of

Educational Psychology, 100(4), 907–919 .
De La Paz, S ., Swanson, P ., & Graham, S . (1998) . The contribution of executive control to the

revising by students with learning and writing difficulties . Journal of Educational Psychology, 90,
488–460 .

Graham, S . (1997) . Executive control in the revising of students with learning and writing
difficulties . Journal of Educational Psychology, 89, 223–234 .

Graham, S ., & Harris, K . R . (2003) . Students with learning disabilities and the process of writing:
A meta-analysis of SRSD Studies. In H . L . Swanson, K . R . Harris, & S . Graham (Ed .), Handbook
of Learning Disabilities . New York: The Guilford Press .

Harris, K ., Graham, S ., Mason, L ., & Friedlander, B . (2008) . Powerful writing strategies for all
students. Baltimore, MD: Brookes .

MacArthur, C . A ., Graham, S ., & Schwartz, S . (1991) . Knowledge of revision and revising
behavior among students with learning disabilities . Learning Disability Quarterly, 14, 61–73 .

Saddler, B ., & Graham, S . (2007) . The relationship between writing knowledge and writing
performance among more and less skilled writers . Reading and Writing Quarterly, 23(3) 231–
247 .

It should be stressed that how a strategy is taught is what ultimately determines
its effectiveness . One highly effective and empirically proven model is the Self-
Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model .

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Written Expression: Grades 2–5
Level A • Case 1

CASE STUDY

Background
Student: Corey
Age: 7 .5
Grade: 2
Focus: Narrative

Scenario
Corey is an enthusiastic second grader with a good vocabulary . He enjoys writing but has difficulty
organizing his narratives into a complete story . He also has difficulty staying on topic, tending instead
to string related thoughts and ideas together without considering his intended purpose .

As the school year has progressed, Corey’s teacher, Mr . Brandt, has become concerned about the lack
of progress with Corey’s narrative writing skills . He decides to teach Corey a narrative writing strategy
to help him achieve the following goal:

• Given a narrative writing prompt, Corey will write a complete story .

Possible Strategies
• Planning and Organizing Strategies: Narratives

! ! AssignmentAssignment
1 . Read the Introduction and the Planning and Organizing Strategies: Narrative STAR sheets for

the possible strategies .
2 . Describe the POW + WWW, What=2, How=2 and the POW + C-SPACE writing strategies .
3 . Explain how each writing strategy could help Corey to meet his goal .

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Written Expression: Grades 2–5
Level A • Case 2

CASE STUDY

Background
Student: Kaynia
Age: 8 .7
Grade: 3
Focus: Persuasive Essay

Scenario
Kaynia is an active girl who plays well with others and demonstrates great physical vigor . Kaynia’s
performance is satisfactory in most content areas; however, she has a difficult time during writing
class . A focus of Kaynia’s third-grade writing class is persuasive essay writing . Although most of her
peers are able to write persuasive essays, Kaynia is quite frustrated . She has good ideas but is not
able to clearly articulate her point of view .

Kaynia’s teacher remembers a staff development on Strategy Instruction she attended and decides
to teach Kaynia a persuasive essay writing strategy she learned during it . Kaynia’s teacher has the
following instructional goal:

• Given a writing prompt, Kaynia will write a persuasive essay, clearly articulating her point of
view and providing supporting arguments .

Possible Stragegies
• Planning and Organizing Strategies: Persuasive Essays

! ! AssignmentAssignment
1 . Read the Introduction and the Planning and Organizing Strategies: Persuasive Essays STAR

sheets for the possible strategies .
2 . Describe the POW + TREE and the STOP and DARE strategies .
3 . Explain how each writing strategy could help Kaynia to meet her goal .
4 . How can the POW+TREE graphic organizer shown on the STAR sheet help Kaynia to monitor

her use of the strategy?

It depends what pet it is. I think children should choose a hamster, cat, dog, bird
or a fish. If you have a pet you should take care of it.. I chose my pet but I got
a cage so I had to buy a hamster. Children should not buy dangerous pets. I love
pets. Children should choose good pets. I feel that if you have a pet you should be
responsible. I feel that children should choose a good size pet. Some people hate
pets and some love pets.

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Written Expression: Grades 2–5
Level B • Case 1

CASE STUDY

Background
Student: Jessica
Age: 9 .11
Grade: 4
Focus: Narrative

Scenario
Jessica likes school and especially enjoys sharing personal experiences with her class . Her teacher,
Mrs . Tracy, has noticed how frustrated Jessica becomes when she is given a narrative writing
assignment . Despite Jessica’s confidence in verbally communicating each idea, she appears to go
“blank” when given the task of planning and organizing her narrative .

Mrs . Tracy has taught the writing process to her class, but Jessica continues to struggle, and Mrs .
Tracy has become concerned with her lack of progress . The state’s high-stakes writing assessments
are largely based on a student’s ability to plan/ organize and write a high-quality narrative . Mrs .
Tracy brings her concern to the fourth-grade team, which in turn suggests that she teach Jessica a
strategy specifically for writing narratives . Mrs . Tracy has the following instructional goal:

• Given a narrative writing prompt, Jessica will write a complete narrative .

Possible Activities
• Planning and Organizing Strategies: Narratives

! ! AssignmentAssignment
1 . Read the Introduction and the Planning and Organizing Strategies: Narratives STAR sheet

for the possible strategies .
2 . Explain how each strategy could be used to assist Jessica in reaching her instructional

goal .
3 . Considering Jessica’s strengths and the curricular demands, which strategy do you feel

would be more appropriate and why?

Once I had a great time at my friends party. We went swimming and went to an
amusement park. I got scared on the roller coaster. I screamed like a little girl. So
after we had a party and cake. After that we played games and got lots of
tickets. A good day.

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Written Expression: Grades 2–5
Level B • Case 2

CASE STUDY

Background
Student: Henry
Age: 10 .4
Grade: 5
Focus: Persuasive Writing

• Given a writing prompt, Henry will write a persuasive essay, clearly articulating his point of
view, providing supporting arguments, and refuting opposing arguments .

Possible Activities
• Planning and Organizing Strategies: Persuasive Essays

! ! AssignmentAssignment
1 . Read the Introduction and the Planning and Organizing Strategies: Persuasive Essays STAR

sheet for the possible strategies .
2 . Explain how each of the two writing strategies could be used to assist Henry in reaching his

instructional goal .
3 . Ms . Faz was planning to teach her students the STOP and DARE strategy . Do you think this

strategy will help Henry met his goal? Why or why not?
4 . Decide on two self-regulatory statements that Ms . Faz could use when modeling the strategy

for Henry .

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Written Expression: Grades 2–5
Level B • Case 3

CASE STUDY

Background
Student: Ja’Min
Age: 11 .2
Grade: 5
Focus: Revising

Scenario
Ja’Min is something of a reclusive boy who enjoys reading and playing by himself . He is serious about
his schoolwork and will on occasion participate in class discussions . Ja’Min does well in most of his
classes, but he has difficulty in writing class . When it comes to writing, he appears to use effective Tips
for plan/ organize and to draft his compositions; however, when it comes to revising his compositions,
he tends to focus on the mechanics of writing (i .e ., handwriting, spelling, punctuation, grammar,
and format) rather than clarity of meaning . Ja’Min has difficulty making adjustments to his written
compositions to ensure that they communicate his full intent .

His teacher is concerned that, if uncorrected, Ja’Min’s current difficulties might eventually affect his
performance in other classes . As he moves up in grades, his ability to communicate effectively through
written language becomes increasingly important . Ja’Min’s teacher has the following instructional
goals:

• Ja’Min will revise a previously written composition while keeping in mind his audience (e .g .,
teacher, peers) .

• Ja’Min will revise a previously written composition to better communicate his intentions .

Possible Strategies
• Revising Strategies

Once there was a fight between humans and beasts. The humans were
fighting for food to survive. Once they got food they would go to these secret
caves to eat the food. The humans would use spears and sticks with sharp
ends. They often would fight with mammoths, tigers, lions and even bears.
Now once there was a Giant Mammoth who was the king of all mammoths. So
the whole tribe went to attack the king mammoth the battle was intense, but
when they defeated the king a meteor shower was coming. The humans had to
travel away from the caves. They escaped the meteors but they had to start a
new life in a strange land. So they started building houses and the world we
live in now was ventually built by those cave people.

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! ! AssignmentAssignment
1 . Read the Revising Strategies STAR sheet for the possible strategies .
2 . Decide which of Ja’Min’s goals you would address first and explain why .
3 . Identify a strategy and explain why or how it will assist Ja’Min in reaching his goals .

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Written Expression: Grades 2–5
Level C • Case 1

CASE STUDY

Background
Student: Terrence
Age: 10 .2
Grade: 5

Scenario
Terrence is a new student in Mr . Fossberg’s fifth-grade class . His father is in the military, and Terrence
has attended four schools in the past six years . He has adapted well socially and has many new friends .
He has a positive attitude toward school and does well in most of his classes . He does especially well
in math and science; however, he is demonstrating serious deficits in writing . He has great transcription
skills (i .e ., spelling, handwriting, and grammar), but when it comes to composing a written composition
he does not appear to have much experience .
When given a writing assignment, Terrence is able to come up with terrific ideas; however, he does
not organize his thoughts and ideas into a coherent composition . He tends to engage in “knowledge
telling”—that is, his writing consists of free associations that are hard for anyone but him to understand .
Terrence also writes without considering organization, goals, or audience . He said that none of the
schools he had attended taught writing the same way, and he was confused about what he was
supposed to do .

His teacher, Mr . Fossberg, is concerned . Writing is an important part of the fifth-grade curriculum, and
all of his other students know strategies to plan/ organize, write, edit, and revise their compositions .
Mr . Fossberg is particularly concerned about Terrence’s ability to write a persuasive essay, part of
the school’s fifth-grade promotional requirements . Mr . Fossberg consulted with the school’s learning
specialist . She gave him some information on strategy instruction in written expression and self-
regulation .

Areas of Strength
• Has a positive attitude
• Has great transcription skills
• Does well academically and is a hard worker
• Understands the importance of learning to write a complete, high-quality narrative
• Is willing to try strategies to improve his writing skills

Fishing is the best sport there is. Once I went fshing. I betted my dad that I could catch a bigger
fsh than he could. At frst I cought nothing. The sky was bright and I was heated up. Our boat was
not the best. The contest went for hours, very long hours. I have to do chores for a month if I lost.
Next I caught a maximum fsh. My dad caught two medium fsh. then we both caught fve more fsh.
Some were ugly. We didn’t bring water and we were both hot and dry. This was not the frst time we
fshed that month. There was fve minutes left. Then I caught a ten feet long fsh! And I won the
bet. What other sport has this much excitement?

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! ! AssignmentAssignment
1 . Develop an instructional goal for Terrence .
2 . Choose a combination of one planning/ organizing strategy and one revising strategy to

assist Terrence in meeting his instructional goal .
3 . Provide a rationale for teaching Terrence each strategy .
4 . Choose one strategy . Explain how you would use the six-step SRSD model to teach Terrence

this strategy .

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Written Expression: Grades 2–5
Level C • Case 2

CASE STUDY

Background
Student: Margarita
Age: 8 .8
Grade: 3

Scenario
Margarita is well-liked by her teachers and peers . Her teachers describe her as hardworking with
a positive attitude . Margarita does well overall in her classes, although, last year she began to
demonstrate some frustration with the increased amount of writing that was required . Margarita does
a nice job planning, organizing, and drafting persuasive essays, but when it comes to revising, she
tends to have difficulty . She says, “I don’t know what else to do . I’ve already written my paper .”

Her teacher, Miss Meyer, is concerned that if she cannot teach Margarita to effectively revise her
compositions, her writing assignments will become increasingly difficult . Miss Meyer knows that the
writing and revising of compositions is a large part of the third-grade curriculum and future high-stakes
assessments .

Areas of Strength
• Has a positive attitude toward writing
• Is a hard worker
• Understands that she needs to improve her writing skills
• Is willing to try strategies to improve her writing skills

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! ! AssignmentAssignment
1 . Develop an instructional goal for Margarita related to revising her writing .
2 . Determine which strategy you think would be most appropriate in assisting Margarita in

achieving the instructional goal . Provide a rationale for your choice .
3 . What self-regulation strategy would be the most beneficial for Margarita? Explain .
4 . Describe how you would teach the self-regulation strategy you chose to Margarita .

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