Developing Historical Reading and Writing With Adolescent Readers: Effects on Student Learning

• Published in: Theory and research in social education Vol. 42; no. 2; pp. 228 - 274
• Main Authors: De La Paz, Susan, Felton, Mark, Monte-Sano, Chauncey, Croninger, Robert, Jackson, Cara, Deogracias, Jeehye Shim, Hoffman, Benjamin Polk
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 03.04.2014
• Subjects: adolescent readers; cognitive apprenticeships; Control Groups; Curriculum; disciplinary literacy; Essays; Faculty Development; Fidelity; Grade 8; historical arguments; History; History Instruction; Intervention; Literacy Education; Middle School Students; Middle School Teachers; Mixed Methods Research; Outcomes of Education; Persuasive Discourse; Pretests Posttests; Primary Sources; Reading Difficulties; student learning outcomes; Task Analysis; Teaching Methods; United States (Mid Atlantic States)
• ISSN: 0093-3104; 2163-1654
• DOI: 10.1080/00933104.2014.908754

In this study, the effects of a disciplinary reading and writing curriculum intervention with professional development are shared. We share our instructional approach and provide writing outcomes for struggling adolescent readers who read at or below basic proficiency levels, as well as writing outcomes for proficient and advanced readers. Findings indicate significant and meaningful growth of about 0.5 of 1 standard deviation in students' abilities to write historical arguments and in the length of their essays for all participants, including struggling readers. Our study also considers teacher implementation of the curriculum intervention. We found that teachers who were most faithful to the underlying constructs of our curriculum intervention also made successful adaptations of the lesson materials.