Papers by Zoi Philippakos
Teachers’ Academic, Social Emotional Challenges, and Requests for Supports: 'We are All Burnt Out and Hanging by a Thread
SSRN Electronic Journal
Supporting Students' Writing From Sources at College Entry
Handbook of Research on Writing Instruction Practices for Equitable and Effective Teaching
Most college writing involves writing from sources. Students are expected to read critically and ... more Most college writing involves writing from sources. Students are expected to read critically and integrate ideas from sources with their own ideas. The first section of this chapter is a review of research on instruction in writing from sources, or synthesis writing. The next section describes the authors' own research over the past decade with college students in developmental writing or integrated reading/writing courses. The instructional approach, called Supporting Strategic Writers, is based on research on strategy instruction with metacognitive self-regulation. Students learn strategies for critical reading and writing based on rhetorical analysis and genres. They also learn metacognitive strategies for goal setting, task management, progress monitoring, and reflection. Substantial research demonstrates effects on writing quality and motivation. The chapter includes an extended description of the strategies for writing from sources. The chapter concludes with reflections o...
Strategy instruction with self-regulation in college developmental writing courses: Results from a randomized experiment
Journal of Educational Psychology, 2022
Effective Read-Alouds for Early Literacy: A Teacher's Guide for PreK-1
Writing Strategy Instruction for Low‐Skilled Postsecondary Students
The Wiley Handbook of Adult Literacy, 2019
Differentiated Literacy Instruction in Grades 4 and 5: Strategies and Resources. Second Edition
The overall purpose of this case study is to examine biliteracy and its effects on a young child’... more The overall purpose of this case study is to examine biliteracy and its effects on a young child’s orthographic and writing growth. The analysis of the kindergartener’s spelling development and compositional growth in reference to both language systems indicates that biliteracy had a positive effect on the student’s acquisition of English orthography and fostered a well-balanced development of composition skills in both languages. The article provides suggestions that promote biliteracy in both the classroom and home settings and encourages teachers to engage in instructional practices that value linguistic diversity. Online resources for classroom practice are also included. AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES Ekaterina Midgette, Ph.D is Associate Professor of Literacy Education at the College of Saint Rose, Albany, NY. She has taught English as a Foreign and Second Language in the United States and Russia. Her research interests include students’ cognitive difficulties in argumentative writing and...
Developing Strategic Young Writers through Genre Instruction: Resources for Grades K-2
Revision is a challenging step of the writing process and students often focus their attention to... more Revision is a challenging step of the writing process and students often focus their attention to mechanics or grammar instead of making organizational and meaning changes. It is important for students to critically read and independently evaluate their work when revising. This practitioner article discusses the importance of genre-specific evaluation criteria in revision. Knowledge about genre-evaluation criteria can strengthen students’ understanding about writing for different purposes and audiences, can support their ability to critically read and comprehend, can affect their confidence, and can lead students to independent evaluation. Similarly, teachers can use the same evaluation criteria to give feedback to students and grade their work. Preparation for teaching and teaching procedures are explained. AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES Zoi A. Philippakos, PhD, is Assistant Professor in the College of Education at University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her research interests include readi...
Writing Motivation of College Students in Basic Writing and First-Year Composition Classes: Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Scales on Goals, Self-Efficacy, Beliefs, and Affect
Journal of Learning Disabilities, 2021
The purpose of the study was to validate a writing motivation questionnaire that consists of four... more The purpose of the study was to validate a writing motivation questionnaire that consists of four scales for first-year college writers—students with low writing skills in basic writing classes and students in typical first-year composition (FYC)—to investigate differences between these two groups and to examine the relationship of motivational constructs with writing quality. Participants were 371 college students (142 in basic writing classes and 229 in FYC). Students completed a 49-item motivation questionnaire with scales for goal-orientation, self-efficacy, beliefs, and affect about writing and wrote an argumentative essay. Confirmatory factor analysis provided evidence for the structural construct validity of all scales for both groups. Statistically significant differences between basic writers and FYC students were found on self-efficacy for grammar and strategies and on beliefs about the importance of substance and mechanics. Structural equation modeling found statistically...
Advances in Educational Marketing, Administration, and Leadership, 2017
The purpose of this chapter is to report on the findings of a writing survey with elementary clas... more The purpose of this chapter is to report on the findings of a writing survey with elementary classroom teachers (n=39) who attended graduate programs at two four-year colleges. In this study, the authors examine teachers' perceptions of their Professional Development (PD) in the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for writing and describe their PD needs. The chapter concludes with recommendations and suggestions about how literacy coaches can best implement multiple levels of support in writing instruction including school-wide and grade level PDs as well as coaching and in-class support.
The Journal of Educational Research, 2020
The purpose of the study was to (a) design and examine the effects of a yearlong professional dev... more The purpose of the study was to (a) design and examine the effects of a yearlong professional development model on the writing quality of 3 rd to 5 th graders across genres and on their teachers' confidence, and (b) to make revisions based on results and teacher's feedback. Participants were 11 teachers, 273 students, and a principal. The study had a one-year duration, and instruction was based on genre-based strategy instruction for the genres of opinion, story, and comparecontrast. Data were collected across the academic year, and results showed that students' writing quality improved across genres taught during the academic year while there were no gender differences on performance. Teachers expressed challenges regarding time to teach writing and meet with peer. Further they shared the need to be provided with quality resources and continuous PD. Revisions for Cycle 2 are included and implications for research and practice are further discussed.
Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 2018
The purpose of this study was to investigate how students in a developmental writing course at a ... more The purpose of this study was to investigate how students in a developmental writing course at a community college used and adapted cognitive writing strategies learned in the course. The students participated in a funded research project for the development and evaluation of a writing curriculum based on self‐regulated strategy instruction. The authors investigated students’ application of the planning and revising strategies using think‐aloud protocols. The results showed that students remembered the strategies but did not use them consistently. Also, students tended to use an outline but not always effectively. Finally, reading comprehension seemed to impact their use of revision strategies. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.
The Reading Teacher, 2018
Proficient writers spend substantial time planning for writing, and that planning begins with ana... more Proficient writers spend substantial time planning for writing, and that planning begins with analyzing the writing task. They spend time considering the topic, the audience and its needs, and the genre and form of the writing. This rhetorical analysis helps them set goals, orient their attention, and get organized. Task analysis can also help students navigate reading tasks and challenging combined reading–writing tasks. This teaching tip explains a process for critically reading and analyzing writing tasks, as well as combined reading–writing tasks, that can be immediately applied in teachers’ classrooms.
Reading and Writing, 2018
The study developed a model of linguistic constructs to predict writing quality for college basic... more The study developed a model of linguistic constructs to predict writing quality for college basic writers and analyzed how those constructs changed following instruction. Analysis used a corpus of argumentative essays from a quasi-experimental, instructional study with 252 students that found large effects (ES = 1.22) on quality of argumentative writing. Coh-Metrix (McNamara, Graesser, McCarthy, & Cai, 2014) was used to analyze the essays for lexical and syntactic complexity and cohesion. Structural equation modeling found that referential cohesion (p < .001) and lexical complexity (p < .01) positively predicted quality on posttest essays while syntactic complexity (p < .001) was negatively related to quality. Length explained 30% of variance in quality; the full model explained 48.7%. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to impute factor scores for pretest and posttest essays. Analysis of covariance using these factors found that the treatment group wrote posttest essays with greater lexical complexity (p < .01) and referential cohesion (p < .01) and less use of connectives (p < .05) than a business-as-usual control group.
Reading & Writing Quarterly, 2018
Argumentation is challenging for young learners. We used design research to develop an interventi... more Argumentation is challenging for young learners. We used design research to develop an intervention that was based on principles of dialogic argumentation and strategy instruction and used genre elements to guide planning and evaluation for revision. Instruction included oral discussion of children's books, written responses to reading, and the writing of argumentative essays. We based professional development (PD) on the principles of practice-based PD. The study included 2 cycles of design research with implementation of PD and the instructional approach. Cycle 1 included kindergarten and 1st grade (7 weeks, 168 students, 10 teachers); Cycle 2 included kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade (5 weeks, 229 students, 12 teachers). We made improvements to instruction and PD between cycles based on the design research. Pretest-posttest comparisons showed improvements in quality in both cycles and more genre elements in Cycle 2. Teachers responded positively to PD. We discuss limitations and implications for future research. Writing is a challenging task for both teachers and students (Philippakos & Moore, 2017). The Common Core State Standards Initiative (2010) brought attention to the neglected "R" (National Commission on Writing in America's Schools and Colleges, 2003), turning writing into an academic focus for college and career readiness. According to the Standards, students write to satisfy three purposes: to persuade, to inform, and to entertain. From as early as kindergarten, young writers are expected to persuade a reader and, through drawing, dictation, and writing, express their opinion on an issue (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2010). By Grade 5, young learners who attempt to persuade a reader should be able to introduce a topic, state their opinion, support it with reasons and evidence, and provide closure. Overall, writers should have a good understanding of rhetorical and linguistic demands in order to effectively address the purpose of persuasive writing and the audience's needs . They should engage in this type of writing early in their schooling, as it has fundamental importance to academic writing . Argumentation is a challenging task for writers and especially for young learners (Benoit,
Reading & Writing Quarterly, 2018
We evaluated the effects of a summer reading intervention with a sample of low-income Black and H... more We evaluated the effects of a summer reading intervention with a sample of low-income Black and Hispanic students who were struggling readers. In the summer before their 2nd-or 3rd-grade school year, 14 rising 2nd graders and 18 rising 3rd graders received 15 hr of a scripted, explicit phonics-based program in dyads from credentialed elementary school teachers. Students completed pre-and posttest measures of decoding, sight word reading, and reading fluency. Results indicated significant growth on most reading measures for rising 3rd graders. The school district also provided reading fluency and composite measures of reading for the intervention students and for a comparison sample of students who did not receive the intervention. There were few significant effects of the intervention between groups, but effect sizes on composite scores were meaningful and favored the intervention group. We discuss implications for providing summer reading support to students similar to the sample. Across the country, communities are joining in the National Campaign for Third Grade Reading, a movement that brings together foundations, nonprofits, business leaders, and educational organizations to ensure that children are reading proficiently by third grade. Studies consistently show that most children who do not read proficiently by the end of third grade face a devastating educational trajectory that might result in school dropout, a life of poverty and lack of social mobility, time in prison, and even serious health problems (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2010). The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading works to prevent reading problems and remediate reading difficulties when needed. The campaign recognizes that it takes a coordinated effort of schools and community agencies mobilizing to support all children to become proficient readers. The current study took place in one urban community that had recently received a Pacesetter Award, given to a community campaign that leads by example to solve challenges that undermine early literacy, for its own third-grade reading campaign. This campaign has set summer reading as one pillar critical to raising the number of third graders reading on grade level. It is not uncommon for children to receive reading support during the summer in an effort to avoid the well-documented summer reading loss faced by so many children in low-income communities ). In the community in which this study took place, many varieties of summer literacy programs exist, including national programs such as Freedom School and Y Readers as well as other locally designed programs. Nevertheless, the problem of summer reading loss persists. Our urban community mirrors other cities like it where the reading problem is most pronounced among children living in poverty. The goal of the present study was to examine the effects of an evidence-based reading intervention for children on this edge: children about to enter second or third grade (hereafter referred to as none defined CONTACT Kristen D. Beach
The Effects of Giving Feedback on the Persuasive Writing of Fourth- and Fifth-Grade Students
Reading Research Quarterly, 2016
Peer review is a reciprocal process in which writers both give and receive feedback. Both activit... more Peer review is a reciprocal process in which writers both give and receive feedback. Both activities may contribute to student learning; however, few studies have examined the effects of giving feedback separately. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of giving feedback on the quality of the reviewers’ own persuasive writing. Fourth- and fifth-grade students (n = 145) received training in evaluation using genre-specific criteria. They were then randomly assigned to three groups: reviewer, reader control, and time control. The reviewers read persuasive essays, rated them, and gave written suggestions. To control for the effect of reading the essays, the reader control group read the same essays but did not evaluate them; finally, the time control group read narratives to control for time and effort. On the immediate posttests, to assess effects on revision, all students revised two essays written at pretest. To assess transfer and delayed transfer, students wrote and revised essays on new topics. On the immediate posttests, students in the reviewer group included more elements to address the opposing position and end with a message to the reader. In addition, reviewers produced better quality final essays than both control groups did on one immediate posttest and the transfer posttest, and better essays than the reader control group did on the delayed transfer. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
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Papers by Zoi Philippakos