Search

Motivation is essential for writing success. However, investigations of writing motivation in younger students often overlook the students’ voices, basing instead—insufficiently—findings solely on teachers’ and/or researchers’ observations. The present systematic literature review highlights the importance of also listening to students’ own perspectives. It synthesizes findings from empirical studies (1996–2020) in K–5 classrooms. Of 5,795 studies initially identified, 56 met the inclusion criteria and were qualitatively analyzed. The analysis yielded nine factors that influence writing motivation. They are presented as the ABCs of Writing Motivation, organized according to the first nine letters of the alphabet: (A) Appeal, (B) Beliefs, (C) Choice, (D) Difficulty, (E) Environment, (F) Feedback, (G) Goals, (H) Help, and (I) Instructor. We suggest that this can be a useful tool both for researchers and for teachers, as a checklist or source of ideas when planning writing lessons or interventions.

Increasingly over the past decade, there has been a demand of more thorough documentation of the quality of reading assessments. Yet, available documentation of high-quality measures are often restricted to general framework descriptions providing psychometric information as a token of test quality. In a modern view of validity, understanding what is being measured and how scores are calculated is a prerequisite for good interpretation and use of test scores. The present article aims to document the research and development process of a national adaptive screening test for reading difficulties, in which the envisioned interpretation and use of test scores is guiding the work. Given the mandatory nature of this test the sample consist of 49,828 third grade students aged 8. Significant outcomes from this design process involve detailed information on: (a) choice of sub-tests and item formats, (b) selection of high quality items, (c) choice and design of adaptive model, and finally, a statement on the challenges that are still to be met for such a test to function optimally. The present paper is among the first to, in an open and detailed manner, describe the development process as well as qualities and challenges of an adaptive reading screening test for students of this young age.

Forskning fremhever læreres positive selvoppfatning som en forutsetning for å kunne gi god lese- og skriveopplæring (Hodges et al., 2021); de må oppleve seg kompetente, ha handlingsrom og oppleve en tilknytning til arbeidet (Deci & Ryan, 2012). Selv om forskningslitteraturen innen motivasjon for skriving er omfattende og voksende (Camacho et al., 2021; Graham et al., 2018; Walgermo & Uppstad, under utgivelse), pekes det i litteraturen på at lærerutdannere ikke legger nok til rette for å styrke læreres positive selvoppfatninger knyttet til skriveopplæring (Cutler & Graham, 2008; Hodges et al., 2021). I denne artikkelen følger vi et autentisk undervisningsopplegg i lærerutdanningen og utforsker i hvilken grad det å gi lærerstudenter en innføring i å skrive tekster for barn i begynneropplæringen – ut over ordinær undervisning i lærerutdanningen – kan styrke studentenes forventning til egen engasjerende begynneropplæring. I et forfatterledet undervisningsopplegg fikk førsteårsstudenter i lærerutdanning en kort innføring i å skrive tekster for barn, før de selv skrev slike tekster og fikk tilbakemelding på disse. Studentenes mestringsforventning ble innhentet før og etter opplegget gjennom digitalt distribuerte spørreskjema. Som forventet opplevde studentene en signifikant økning i mestringsforventning for å skrive tekster for barn. Av større interesse er sammenhenger som kan peke mot et potensial for å styrke læreres beredskap for engasjerende begynneropplæring i klasserommet gjennom å lære å skrive tekster for barn. Diskusjonen drøfter denne muligheten i lys av teori om utvikling av mestringsforventning. ENGLISH ABSTRACT Write to me – exploration of pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy for instructing beginning writers Research has identified teachers’ positive self-beliefs as a prerequisite for their provision of highquality reading and writing instruction (Hodges et al., 2021): teachers must feel competent, have room for manoeuvre and feel engaged in their work (Deci & Ryan, 2012). There is an extensive and growing research literature on motivation for writing (Camacho et al., 2021; Graham et al., 2018), which has highlighted that teacher trainers do not give their students enough help and support to strengthen their positive self-beliefs when it comes to writing instruction (Cutler & Graham, 2008; Hodges et al., 2021). In this article, we follow an authentic teaching design in teacher training where the standard instruction included in the teacher-training programme was supplemented with an introduction to the writing of texts for children who are beginning readers. We explore whether this can help strengthen pre-service teachers’ belief that they will be able to provide engaging instruction to beginners. The teaching design in question involved a module led by a professional writer and targeting first-year students on the teaching programme, who first received a brief introduction on how to write texts for children and then wrote such texts themselves and received feedback on them. The pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy was measured before and after the module using digitally administered questionnaires. As expected, there was a statistically significant increase in their self-efficacy regarding the writing of texts for children. However, a more interesting finding is that certain circumstances suggest that learning how to write for children may help prepare pre-service teachers to provide engaging classroom instruction to beginners. In the Discussion, this possibility is considered against the background of theories on the development of self-efficacy.

Effective reading instruction requires precise assessment of the learner’s current skill level. For young learners, however, assessment often comes at a great cost: Tests take a long time and students are presented with items that are both too easy and too difficult. Recent developments in adaptive testing have the potential for solving both these challenges. In this paper, we take the path of argument-based validity (Kane, 2015) by presenting an interpretation and use argument for an upcoming adaptive test. We term this paper a study protocol, in line with the established tradition for protocols for pre-registered empirical trials. The function of the protocol is to communicate openly what often remains tacit knowledge on test development.

Teachers' feedback is critical for student learning, particularly during oral reading, where it supports skill development and fosters students' agency and reader identity. However, research has yet to provide clear recommendations for effective classroom feedback. This critical-constructive review aims to achieve two objectives: to present evidence of effective feedback strategies for reading development and to explore the theoretical foundations of feedback in oral reading. The review analyzes twenty-four empirical studies (1995-2022) on effects of teachers' feedback in K-5 settings. Findings reveal significant variability in effective feedback types and content, making clear-cut generalizations challenging and emphasizing the need for a nuanced understanding of feedback's influence on fluency, motivation and engagement. While many studies utilized theoretical frameworks, their limited diversity constrains our understanding of students' emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses to feedback, highlighting a gap in research that often prioritizes reading processes over the role of feedback. This study discusses the potential for integrating feedback and reading development theories to better align interventions with contemporary understandings. By adopting a more comprehensive approach, we can inform teaching strategies that support reading development and redefine how we assist young readers. Additionally, the study offers an example and approach for aligning theory across the different phases of performing empirical research, with implications that extend beyond the current review.

A Norwegian version of this article has formerly been published in this journal: Walgermo, B. R., Uppstad, P. H., Lundetræ, K., Tønnessen, F. E., & Solheim, O. J. (2018). Kartleggingsprøver i lesing-tid for nytenking?. Acta Didactica Norge, 12(4), art. 7. https://doi.org/10.5617/adno.6499. Abstract At present, the national Norwegian quality-assessment system for basic education (NKVS) includes a range of reading tests with different purposes and designs, to be administered at various points during a 13-year period of schooling. In this article, we trace the historical background to the introduction of screening tests of reading in early education and identify a number of circumstances that call for a rethink of the overall test concept. Using data from a longitudinal study, we show that scores on a brief task administered towards the end of grade 1 predict reading-comprehension difficulties in grade 3. Taking that finding as our starting point, we discuss an idea for a possible new test concept that might have the potential to (a) improve the match between reading theory and reading-skill measurements, (b) enable longitudinal prediction, and (c) take less time to administer and be more useful in an educational context. The central elements of this new test concept are a short initial test meeting the primary objective of identifying students at risk of developing reading difficulties, and a follow-up explorative part to be carried out one-on-one, which will provide the teacher with information about the nature of each student’s difficulties. Keywords: reading assessments, screening for reading difficulties, longitudinal predic­tion, early efforts, dyslexia, reading and writing difficulties, special-needs education

Som en del av det Nasjonale kvalitetsvurderingssystemet for grunnopplæringen (NKVS) i norsk utdanning har vi i dag forskjellige leseprøver med ulikt formål og utforming for bruk i det 13-årige skoleløpet. I denne artikkelen tegner vi opp en historisk bakgrunn for innføringen av kartleggingsprøvene i lesing i begynneropplæringen, og peker på flere forhold som kaller på en nytenking av dette prøvekonseptet. I artikkelen viser vi ved hjelp av data fra en longitudinell studie hvordan en kort oppgave gjennomført i slutten av første klasse predikerer vansker med leseforståelse i 3. klasse. Med utgangspunkt i disse resultatene drøfter vi kimen til et mulig nytt prøvekonsept med potensiale for a) bedre samsvar mellom teori om lesing og måling av lesing, b) longitudinell prediksjon, og c) en prøve som kan gjennomføres på kortere tid med forbedret pedagogisk potensiale. Sentralt i dette forslaget står tanken om en kort inngangsprøve som oppfyller prøvens primære formål om å identifisere de elevene som står i fare for å utvikle vansker med lesing, fulgt av en utforskende del gjennomført en-til-en som gir læreren informasjon om hvordan vansken arter seg. Nøkkelord: kartleggingsprøver i lesing, longitudinell prediksjon, tidlig innsats, dysleksi, lese- og skrivevansker, intensiv opplæring. Is it time to rethink screening tests for Reading? Abstract As part of the national quality assessment system in education, Norwegian schools use a variety of reading test with different purposes and designs. In this study we initially provide a historical background regarding the development and implementation of the first-grade screening tests for reading. Within this historical context, we point to the need for rethinking the overall design and philosophy of these tests. Using longitudinal study data, we empirically document how a short group-administered assessment task at the end of first grade predicts difficulties in reading comprehension at the end of third grade. Based on these results we discuss the development of a new design with potentially a) better concurrence of reading theory and reading measures, b) longitudinal prediction, c) a shorter test with better pedagogical potential. Central to this idea is a short initial task that can fulfil the primary purpose of the screening, followed by an explorative, observational aspect, implemented in a one-to-one manner, that would provide greater information regarding the nature of the difficulty. Keywords: screening tests for reading, longitudinal prediction, early efforts, dyslexia, reading and writing difficulties, special education