Perceptions of Students With Language and Learning Disabilities About Writing Process Instruction

Abstract

Abstract Students with language and/or teaming disabilities who had participated in a computer-supported writing lab were interviewed regarding their knowledge about and attitudes toward a writing process instructional approach. Seven students in Grades 4 through 8 participated in individually administered oral interviews, using a Likert-type scale and open-ended questions. Although there were individual differences, responses as a whole indicated that (a) the students had a better understanding of the meaning and purpose of author groups than of the other components of the writing process approach, (b) they had more difficulty explaining the prewriting elements of planning and organizing than other components, and (c) their knowledge of revising and editing focused on editing conventions more than revising content. The students' overall attitudes toward many aspects of the writing process instructional approach were highly positive, especially toward ownership and publication of their writing.