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Boy’s Literacy Development and Kid Writing
Literacy and Gender-Based Brain Research and How the Kid Writing Curriculum Reflects Boy’s Literacy Skills
Christina Gardner
Shippensburg University
Abstract
This research project used kindergarten writing samples taken from September through February to determine whether the “Kid Writing Curriculum” was able to help boys develop in their literacy skills at the same rate at which girls do. It showed that theory of girls being approximately a year and a half ahead of boys in their literacy skills did not stand to be true with this group of students. These results were found by assessing the writing samples through the Kid Writing rubric, which then demonstrated that boys in fact, continued developing their writing/literacy skills simultaneously with the girls.
Introduction
Studies have shown that boys are, on average, behind girls in their literacy development. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate that the Kid Writing curriculum allows both boys and girls to enhance their literacy skills while at the same time allowing the opportunities to continue developing these skills at the same rate as girls do. Since boys learn differently then girls, it is important that both have a learning environment that support their learning styles, and Kid Writing allows for these opportunities because of the unique approaches that are used. This is true because it allows children to have freedom during their writing, to be creative, to work both independently and dependently, and work through the tremendously difficult process of writing with lots of encouragement and scaffolding from adults and peers.
To demonstrate how Kid Writing helps to keep boys up to par with girls and their literacy skills, I have tracked and analyzed a group of kindergartener’s writing from September through February. My findings are consistent through the use of a similar independent writing environment each month and a rubric for which I have graded each sample.
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Boy’s Literacy Development and Kid Writing
Review of Literature
The Federal Department of Education has been tracking the development of boys and girls since 1981 (Gurian, 2001). Throughout their research they have found that on average girls excel more in literacy skills while boys do better with math and spatial skills (Gurian, 2001). Girls not only excel with literacy skills but they are, on average, one and a half years ahead of boys and typically enjoy reading and writing at the same time (Gurian, 2001). Jeffry Wilhelm and Michael Smith (2002) have found that “in all 32 countries studied, boys under-performed girls to a significant degree on all the literacy skills tested with the sole exception in 18 countries of workplace-related literacy” (p. 18).
Boys and girls learn differently and therefore need to have a learning environment that supports their styles (Wilkinson, 2004). With Boys and Girls in Mind states that “the more words a teacher uses, the more likely boys are to ‘zone out’ or go into a rest state” (Wilkinson, 2004 pg. 23). Boys are more likely to stay focused when connecting information to Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences of spatial and kinesthetic experiences (Wilkinson, 2004). Spatial intelligence involves the use of patterns in a specific environment (Smith, 2002). While kinesthetic intelligence involves the use of one’s whole body and connecting learning and movement for mental development (Smith, 2002). Young boys typically need space to fulfill their learning styles. Boys and Girls Learn Differently! states that “this natural tendency can affect psychological dynamics” (Gurian, 2001 pg. 47). In allowing this behavior to occur, boys are more able to use their own natural learning style to develop skills (Gurian, 2001). Also, when boys have the opportunity to fidget, move around, play, and have breaks, it allows their brains to more naturally stay focused and stimulated, therefore again allowing boys learning needs to be fulfilled (Gurian, 2001).
Kid Writing allows for the unique differennces between boys and girls because it focuses on the developing process of writing and reading through multiple opportunities to embrace writing (Feldgus & Cardonick, 1999). Kid Writing is a phonics-based balanced literacy curriculum where children use invented spelling to phonemically sound out words and write independently (Feldgus & Cardonick, 1999). This program allows children to spend time drawing their pictures and then discussing their ideas with classmates and adults (Feldgus & Cardonick, 1999). Once the child has brainstormed his/her ideas they begin writing using phonemic awareness to sound out each word and write it how it is heard (Feldgus & Cardonick, 1999). While children are working through this process, they are scaffold by an adult who assists the child by stretching words and emphasizing sounds in context of the word (E. Feldgus, Snapshot of Kid Writing Workshop, February 26, 2007). Throughout this process the child receives praise and encouragement for conventional spelling and logical attempts towards spelling different words (Feldgus & Cardonick, 1999). The child is then given a way in which he/she can improve their writing next time (Feldgus & Cardonick, 1999). Before completing the Kid Writing process, adults then underwrite in “adult writing” any spelling or grammatical errors to demonstrate the conventional way to write each sentence (Feldgus & Cardonick, 1999). Finally, the teacher then carries out daily mini-lessons in a group setting and chooses the ideas to discuss based on the children’s writing from that day (E. Feldgus, Snapshot of Kid Writing Workshop, February 26, 2007). Eileen Feldgus and Isabell Cardonick have found that, “Journal writing provides children with an opportunity to systematically explore written language in the supportive environment in which they are learning by doing for an authentic purpose – to communicate their ideas” (Feldgus & Cardonick, pg. 4).
While Kid Writing supports an extensive writing process it also allows freedom by encouraging that children choose where they would like to sit, whether it be at a table or on the floor and who they would like to sit next to. This allows for more social interactions, movement, and communication opportunities where children can discuss their pictures, stories, and ask their peers questions ((Feldgus & Cardonick,pg. 37 & 52). Eileen Feldgus states in her Snapshot of Kid Writing Workshop that, “Children move through stages of spelling development more rapidly because they must think about the sounds and letters in words. Children’s reading ability develops more rapidly because children are focusing on meaning of writing and on phonics.” (E. Feldgus, Snapshot of Kid Writing Workshop, February 26, 2007)
Methodology
This study was designed to determine if the Kid Writing Curriculum allows boys to develop their writing/literacy skills at a similar rate of which girls do. The participants of this study were kindergarteners from a southcentral Pennsylvania school district. They were members of two, half-day kindergarten classes which consisted of a total of twenty boys and twelve girls all between the ages of five and six. Each child had participated in the Kid Writing curriculum since their first day upon arriving at the school, not all children began the school year in this district. The children participated monthly in a “Write by Yourself Day” where they had to do their best to write their stories independently before receiving individual mini-lessons and encouragement from the teachers and parents in the classroom. These writing samples were collected at the end of every month from September, the beginning of the school year, through February to assess their independent writing level.
Data was analyzed using the Kid Writing Rubric (appendix) which breaks the children’s abilities into eight different levels, one being an emergent level and eight being advanced. The rubric was altered in that a child had to fulfill all requirements of any given level to have considered mastering each level. This was to ensure consistency in all children’s scoring upon the comparison with others. Each child’s writing was individually scored and the children’s levels for each month were recorded and analyzed.
Parental permission was granted by each participant in this study, and all data was to be kept confidential. No alterations or changes were made in the classroom environment or currently used programs and all children worked under familiar and fair conditions.
Results
The data collected shows that the Kid Writing curriculum allowed this group of children, both boys and girls, to continuously develop their literacy skills with similar results. The average level between boys and girls was never more than .37 points different in any given month. These results show that there were months when both boys and girls were ahead and behind one another. Another observation noticed through these results was that, considering the rubric is broken into solid levels and the children can not proceed to the next level until they have met all of the requirements, December was the only month where girls were actually one level ahead of boys. As for the rest of the months, the average score of boys and girls equaled out to the same level. Another important aspect to these results is that, in most school districts the expectations for kindergarteners are that they demonstrate competence at the level 5 (Phonetic) by the end of the school year (June). Of the participants, there are only five who have yet to meet these expectations, and only two of which are boys. However, these results only show the children’s progress through February, which still leaves four months to allow those five participants to work towards meeting those expectations. Therefore, the rest of the kindergarten participants have already met or exceeded those expectations four months prior to the end of the school year. The following is a table and graph, which represent the average Kid Writing level of the twenty boys and twelve girls during each month.
September / October / November / December / January / FebruaryBoys / 2.21 / 3.3 / 4.2 / 4.83 / 5.3 / 5.63
Girls / 2.3 / 3.67 / 4.45 / 5 / 5.25 / 5.42
Conclusions/Implications
In analyzing the results of these thirty-two participants they demonstrate that on average, the boys were able to continue developing at about the same rate as the girls. Both the boys and the girls progressed from September to February almost simultaneously. Due to the fact that thirty participants is considered a feasible number and this study was consisted of thirty-two participants, it can be generalized to a kindergarten level in southcentral Pennsylvania schools with similar demographics. Therefore, with these results show that Kid Writing has helped all children to considerably improve in their literacy skills while also maintaining equivalent levels between the girls and the boys. With these participants and the use of the Kid Writing curriculum, as they grow older it may help to provide enough of a literacy foundation for which the boys are more able to continue developing their literacy skills without lagging behind the girls.
References
Feldgus, E. & Cardonick, I. (1999) Kid writing: A systematic approach to phonics, journals, and writing workshops (3rd. ed.). Write Group/Mcgraw-Hill.
Gurian, M. (2001). Boys and girls learn differently!: A guide for teachers and parents. San Fransico, CA: Jossey- Bass.
Smith, M. K. (2002). Howard Gardner and multiple intelligences. The encyclopedia of Informal Education. February 3, 2007, http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm.
Smith, M. W. & Wihelm, J. D. (2002). Walking a tightrope: what research on boys and literacy says about no child left behind. California English,9(3), 18-21.
Wilkinson, S. (2004). With boys and girls in mind. Educational Leadership,62, 21-26. Retrieved February 4, 2007, from EBSCOhost database.
Appendix A
Appendix B
Boy 1 / 2 / 2 / 2 / 3 / 3 / 3
Boy 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 6 / 6
Boy 3 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 6 / 6
Boy 4 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 4 / 5 / 6
Boy 5 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 6 / 7
Boy 6 / 1 / 3 / 4 / 4 / 5 / 5
Boy 7 / 2 / 3 / 4 / N/A / 5 / 5
Boy 8 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 6
Boy 9 / 2 / 3 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 5
Boy 10 / N/A / 4 / 4 / N/A / 5 / 6
Boy 11 / 3 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 7
Boy 12 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 6 / N/A
Boy 13 / 2 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 4 / 4
Boy 14 / 2 / 3 / 5 / 5 / 6 / 6
Boy 15 / 1 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 5 / 6
Boy 16 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 4 / 5 / 6
Boy 17 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 5 / 6
Boy 18 / 3 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 5 / 6
Boy 19 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 4 / 5 / 6
Boy 20 / 2 / 3 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5
Average Score Level / 2.21 / 3.3 / 4.2 / 4.83 / 5.2 / 5.63
Girls / September / October / November / December / January / February
Girl 1 / 3 / 3 / 4 / 6 / 6 / 6
Girl 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 6 / 6
Girl 3 / 3 / 5 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 6
Girl 4 / 2 / 3 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 5
Girl 5 / 1 / 3 / 3 / 4 / 4 / 4
Girl 6 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 5 / 6 / 7
Girl 7 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 6 / 6
Girl 8 / 3 / 3 / N/A / 3 / 3 / 4
Girl 9 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 5 / 5
Girl 10 / 3 / 5 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 6
Girl 11 / 1 / 3 / 3 / 4 / 4 / 4
Girl 12 / 2 / 4 / 5 / 5 / 6 / 6
Average Score Level / 2.3 / 3.67 / 4.45 / 5 / 5.25 / 5.42