Informative, Compare and Contrast, and Persuasive Essay Composing of Fifth and Seventh Graders

Abstract

Typically developing writers in fifth (n = 110, M = 10 years 8 months) or seventh (n = 97, M = 12 years 7 months) grade wrote informative, compare and contrast, and persuasive essays for which the content was held constant—two mountains with a history of volcanic eruption. Relevant background knowledge was provided by reading text and showing colorful illustrations to the students before writing each genre. Results showed considerable variability between genre pairs within and across individual writers in content quality, organization quality, and length. Results, which support multiple expository genres, are consistent with prior research showing multiple genres (narrative vs. expository or even within narrative). Results are discussed in reference to the importance of assessing multiple genres in inferring composing expertise as emphasized by Olinghouse and colleagues.

Relationships between Translation and Transcription Processes during fMRI Connectivity Scanning and Coded Translation and Transcription in Writing Products after Scanning in Children with and without Transcription Disabilities

“…Findings for coding the genres observed in the written compositions outside the scanner are consistent with other recent research showing diversity in written compositions beyond the traditional narrative and expository distinction ( Boscolo, Gelati, & Galvan, 2012 ; Davidson & Berninger, 2015 ; Moore & McArthur, 2012 ; Olinghouse, Santangelo, & Wilson, 2012 ; Olinghouse & Wilson, 2013 ). The coding divided nontraditional narrative into adventure, epistolary, origin, and personal drama, and nontraditional expository into Catalog, Opinion or Hypothesis, History, Journal or Diary.…”

Coordinating Multiple Language Levels in Writing

“…However, Jordan’s conclusion (clauses 9 and 10) highlights global strengths that look beyond the MLL model. Specifically, the final statement shows his conceptual awareness of an opinion essay (Davidson & Berninger, 2016). Additionally, his use of the adverb, probably, throughout the text suggests metacognitive awareness regarding his uncertainty about this topic.…”