Notes on The Writing Processes of 7 Year Old Children

Graves, D. (1975). An examination of the writing processes of seven year old children. Research in the teaching of English, 9(3), 227-241.

This article is a summary of a 5 month case study on writing in four second grade classrooms. Findings led to the following conclusions

-in the area of learning environments:

1) "When children are given choice as to whether they wrote or not as to what to write, they write more and in greater length than when specific writing assignments are given" (p. 235).

2) Unassigned writing is longer than assigned writing" (p. 235).

-in the area of sex differences in writing:

1) girls write longer products, regardless of environment.

2) Boys write more unassigned writing than girls. "Unassigned writing seems to provide incentive for boys" (p. 235).

-Two different types of writers

1) reactive-most often boys

2) reflective-showed "little rehearsal before writing, growing sense of audience; most often girls

-Case study conclusions

1) many variables,often unknown, contribute to the writing process

2) "The writing process is as variable and unique as the individual's personality" (p. 237).