Helping Students to Add Detail and Flair to Their Stories
Patel, P., & Laud, L. (2009). Helping students to add detail and flair to their stories. Preventing School Failure, 54: 1, 2-11. doi.org/10.3200/PSFL.54.1.2-11
This action research case study measured the effectiveness of a writing strategy designed to enhance imagery in stories that 3 students with severe writing difficulties (2 were identified as learning disabled, 1 was undergoing assessment) produced during their resource room sessions. The authors combined the use of the self-regulated strategy development approach with N. Bell’s (1991b) visualizing and verbalizing (V&V) structure words to elicit greater detail in student writing. Although Bell designed V&V to be a reading comprehension technique, results showed that it can enhance student writing when used to support students in articulating their self–created images for stories they write. Of 3 students, 2 made marked improvements, according to measures that included length, number of story elements included, number of images, and a holistic rating of overall writing quality. The holistic rating of the student who did not make marked improve- ments remained the same; her mechanics score decreased by 1 point, and her organization score remained steady. Further editing instruction may have raised these scores because that was the area in which all 3 students showed the least improvement.
