Advisory Committee Chair
Kelly Hill
Advisory Committee Members
Grace Jepkemboi
Lynn Kirkland
Jennifer Ponder
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2022
Degree Name by School
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) School of Education
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference oral language experiences during the prewriting stage of writing make in a student’s quality of writing, enjoyment of writing, and writing behaviors in kindergarten, first, and second grades. Convergent mixed methods design was used for this study. Triangulation of data was completed using three data collection methods: observations, student interviews, and writing samples produced by four kindergarten students, four first grade students, and four second grade students. Each participant engaged in a pretest and posttest for four weeks. The writing samples were scored, and repeated measure design was implemented using a two-sided paired t-test in SPSS. The quality of writing produced from the sessions was statistically significant. Grounded theory was applied, and a constant comparative method was used to identify categories. The substantive theory that developed from categories was that the use of oral language during the prewriting stage of writing increased positive writing behaviors, is reported to make writing easier for young children, and increased the use of egocentric speech. This theory has implications for writing instruction within the early childhood classroom and creates the potential for an increase in the quality of students’ writing. The research implications include narration and egocentric speech during prewriting, and its influence on the emergent writer.
Recommended Citation
Reach, Rebekah Lee, "Oral Language in the Prewriting Stage in Early Childhood: A Mixed Methods Study" (2022). All ETDs from UAB. 170.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/170
