Abstract
Students become better writers when they practice the process of writing regularly, and for a variety of authentic purposes. In order for students to carry out increasingly complex writing processes they must be taught how to write in meaningful ways for specific audiences, purposes, and contexts. Writing is supported through goal-setting, evaluation, using a fluid, recursive writing process, receiving feedback, using peer-review, and carrying out oral discourse. A notion that is critical to consider upon conducting the research is the identification of writing as the Neglected R. Although the breadth of writing research is present, the depth of writing research is limited, and thus, one of the intents of this study is to obtain depth of understanding regarding effective writing practices in the first-grade classroom. This thesis focuses on the writing instructional practices presented in a first-grade classroom in Northern California. The intent of the research is to experience and determine the nature, characteristics, and quality of the academic writing context and writing instructional practices, and the impact they have on writing quality, competence, and progress. The intent is supported by Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, and Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. The research will reflect the documentation gathered as a result of conducting qualitative research within a first-grade classroom. Data was collected from the research conducted with seven students and seven parents. The research design used methods that included surveys of students and parents, observations of the classroom writing environment, and writing documentation in the form of student samples. Environmental, contextual, and affective factors helped develop the themes that emerged from the research, which include motivating factors, the role of one’s environment and surrounding individuals, differentiated learning opportunities, and authentic instruction and learning.