| This investigation was to determine if Expressive Writing instruction in grade six improved pupils' language arts skills. The treatment group consisted of sixty-three (63) pupils from the Sharon Hill Elementary School who were taught Expressive Writing by one teacher on a departmental basis three times a week. This program gave pupils a variety of writing activities for each month. The Comparison Class at the Darby Township Elementary School consisted of twenty (20) sixth grade pupils who were taught on a self-contained basis. The writing program was planned according to the textbook, Macmillan English.;A Pearson Correlation was performed among the gain scores from the four sections of the M.A.T. and the two sections of the Writing Scale. Significant correlations at the < .05 level were M.A.T. Word Knowledge--Writing Scale Mechanical, M.A.T. Spelling--Writing Scale Mechanical, M.A.T. Language--Writing Scale Mechanical, and M.A.T. Language--and Writing Scale Creative. The Pearson r was tested also within the gain scores of the M.A.T. and Writing Scale. Significant correlations at the < .05 level were M.A.T. Word Knowledge--Spelling, M.A.T. Word Knowledge--Reading, M.A.T. Reading--Language, M.A.T. Reading--Spelling, and Writing Scale Mechanical--Creative.;The investigation studied the effects of the post test criteria measured between the writing groups by an analysis of covariance performed via multiple regression techniques. It was found group membership in the Expressive Writing Program did make a significant difference in post test variances of the M.A.T. Word Knowledge--Reading--Language and Writing Scale Creative.;In September, 1980 and the end of the study in May, 1981, pupils in both groups were administered the Metropolitan Achievement Test subsections of Word Knowledge, Reading, Language, and Spelling. Each pupil was evaluated by the teacher on The Pupil Writing Skills Evaluation Scale at the beginning and end of the program. This Writing Scale of twenty mechanical skills and ten creative skills was developed by the investigator. At the beginning of the study, each pupil wrote a composition on their "Favorite Television Program." This assignment was repeated at the end of the study. These compositions were evaluated by the district language arts supervisor using the Writing Scale. |
