There are hundreds of empirical studies and peer-reviewed articles which specifically evaluate, discuss and share results of the evidence-based writing-instruction technique employed by Write Ahead.
Research
Middle School Literacy Instruction
Dr. Leslie Laud’s (Write Ahead co-founder) first book, published in 2012, guides middle school teachers through seven classroom-tested practices for maximizing student literacy learning.
Using Formative Assessment to Differentiate Middle School Literacy Instruction
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Policy Implications of an Evidence-Based Practice
This article discussed teaching policy implications as a result of the measured improvements seen from an explicit writing-instruction teaching model. The article recommends that these evidence-based practices be used to transform writing education.
Self-Regulated Strategy Development in Writing: Policy Implications of an Evidence-Based Practice
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Explicit Teaching Strategies in Middle School Classrooms
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This study used similar explicit instruction to Write Ahead for planning, drafting, and revising text. In comparison to peers in the control condition, students in the experimental treatment condition produced essays that were longer, contained more mature vocabulary, and were qualitatively better. These gains were evident immediately following instruction, and on a probe administered 1 month later
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Effects of explicit instruction and peer assistance
This study investigated the impact of explicit instruction and peer-assisted writing on students' writing motivation. Multilevel analyses showed that students who wrote with a peer were more autonomously motivated at post test than Business As Usual (BAU) students. Additionally, BAU students and students receiving explicit instruction were more motivated than students who were offered ample writing opportunities while practicing individually.
The bright and dark side of writing motivation: Effects of explicit instruction and peer assistance
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Evidence Based Practice for Writing Instruction
This paper discusses how many students fail to attain competency in writing due to limited implementation of evidence-based practice for writing instruction, the instruction Write Ahead uses. It discusses how a major goal of education reform is to incorporate the findings from clear, consistent, and convincing scientific research, into the day-to-day operations of schools in the domain of writing. Evidence-based instruction will help create a culture of evidence-based educational practices which promote high-quality instruction and improved student outcomes.
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Strategy Development in Writing
In this study 20 elementary school teachers were taught writing development instruction strategies using the same methodology used by Write Ahead. The authors examined the effects of this practice-based professional development and follow-up support. It resulted in significant and meaningful changes in student writing outcomes for story and opinion essay writing in terms of quality, length, and inclusion of basic genre elements
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Improving fourth-grade students' composition skills
Students who were taught composition strategies in conjunction with scaffolds (explicit set of instructions) were compared with (a) students who were taught the same strategies but received no scaffolds and (b) students who received didactic lessons in composition. Both at post test and at maintenance (5 weeks after the instruction), strategy plus scaffold students wrote more complete and qualitatively better stories than students in the 2 comparison conditions