The Missouri Reader Vol. 36, Issue 1 | Page 57

IMPLEMENTING SMALL GROUP SKILL-BASED WRITING
INSTRUCTION IN FIRST GRADE
Kasie Ferguson
eing able to write is an important skill all
students need in order to survive in school, the
workplace, and in society (Norman & Spencer,
2005). When it comes to teaching students how
to write, it is essential to give each student the
skills (grammar and craft) needed to be successful
writers. Something to remember is that not all
students will be able to learn how to write in the
same fashion. According to Chapman and King
(2003), every student is a writer with ―diverse
unique needs‖ (p. 1). In order for every student
to receive the individualized attention to meet
these needs, small group skill-based instruction
needs to be incorporated into the classroom
(Wasik, 2008).
For example, the small group setting gives the
teacher the chance to ―meet with students of
similar needs‖ (Dorn & Soffos, 2001, p. 64). A
few students who may still struggle with
punctuation may be grouped together in order to
receive more explicit instruction and practice on
this concept. Wasik (2008) believes that small
group instruction benefits children by giving
them the individualized instruction they need.
Opportunities to ―validate children‘s current
abilities and to activate new learning‖ are missed
when instruction is given in a whole group setting
(Dorn, French, & Jones, 1998, p. 105).
Individual or group needs are better addressed
through small skill-based grouping techniques.
Feng and Powers (2005) found that students‘
writing mechanics, sentence structure, and usage
improved on both short-term and long-term
measurements when the teacher conducted small
group mini-lessons with students with similar
writing needs.
Writing is a social process and is one that
occurs everyday around the world (Dorn &

Soffos, 2001).
Writing gives
people the
opportunity to
communicate with
one another.
Children under five
years of age begin
to
understand the
importance of
writing by seeing
it in the
environment in which they live. They begin to
understand, at a young age, that written language
is not just marks on a page, but a form of
conveying messages (Mcgee & Richgels, 1990).
Learning how to write may be part of a
developmental process, but learning how to
become a writer takes practice. ―Writing is
something you have to learn. It is a craft‖ (Ray,
2001, p. 26). Russian psychologist, Lev
Vygotsky, believed that students should be taught
within their
Zone of
Kasie Ferguson is an
Proximal
elementary school
Development:
teacher in the
―the distance
Springfield Public
between the
School District. She has
actual
had experience teaching
developmental
in cross-categorical, first
level as
grade and second grade
determined
classrooms.
through
problemKasie received her
solving and the
Masters in Reading at
level of
Missouri State
potential
University.
development as
determined through problem-solving under adult
guidance or in collaboration with more capable
peers‖ (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 86). This means that
© The Missouri Reader, 36 (1) p.57