Instructional Practices for the Component Skills of Writing: A Theoretically Grounded Synthesis

The purpose of this literature synthesis was to identify the level of research evidence for specific writing instructional practices and opportunities for next steps in research. Instead of relying on how study authors described their instruction, this synthesis aggregated studies by the effects on specific component skills of writing (spelling, handwriting, grammar, vocabulary, discourse elements, higher-order cognition, and self-regulation). These specific components were chosen based on a comprehensive and empirically derived theoretical framework – the Direct and Indirect Effects Model of Writing. The literature search included studies with a controlled intervention design, resulting in 162 studies (74% in grades K–5). Studies were reviewed for their design quality, instruction provided, proximal outcomes measured, participant characteristics, and instructional context. Robust positive effects were found for explicitly teaching students discourse elements, spelling, handwriting, and multiple components to a variety of students. More research is needed for vocabulary, grammar, typing, higher-order cognition, and implementation. There is promising evidence of effective instruction in the component skills of writing. Future research that better describes instruction and the unique contextual challenges of different populations holds promise for addressing the need for writing instruction.