Effective Strategies for Improving Writing Skills of Elementary English Language Learners

Statement of Research Question 

By implementing the research-based techniques outlined above, will English language 

learners show improvement in the academic domain of writing? 

 

Methodology 

With the knowledge of the above techniques outlined in the literature review, it was 

decided to conduct a research project with a mixed method approach to investigate the validity of 

the techniques. The initial study was of the quantitative nature using two segments of second 

grade ESOL students. Group 1, the experimental group, consisted of five students whereas 

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Group 2, the control group, consisted of six students. To obtain a baseline for data, ACCESS 

scores were used from the previous year as well as a pre-instruction writing sample at the 

beginning of the year. The writing sample gathered was a narrative and was scored using a rubric 

created by Cobb County to be used with all second graders regardless of their primary language.  

The other component of my research was a qualitative method designed to gather 

information regarding how ESL students feel about themselves as writers, what their thoughts 

were about their actual writing, and what they thought they needed help with. This was done via 

a student survey. Teachers were also given a survey inquiring about how they felt about teaching 

writing, what areas of concern they had for ESL students, and what techniques they had 

previously used.  

  

After the surveys and writing samples were gathered, I met with the teachers I would be 

working with to analyze the data. Including myself, the team consisted of three teachers. We 

discussed, at great length, the need for writing skills of ELLs to improve and used the data to 

pinpoint areas of concern. Following a lengthy discussion, it was decided that there existed a 

lack of sufficient vocabulary among the ESL writers, frequent incomplete thoughts, and an 

obvious inability to express their ideas effectively. Through the research I previously conducted 

along with input from my colleagues, we chose what we thought would be the best strategies to 

implement with our second grade ESL students. Strategies we selected were journal writing, 

activating prior-knowledge, pre-viewing vocabulary, utilizing graphic organizers, scaffolded 

instruction, and increased teacher/peer conferencing. We also decided to make a purposeful effort 

to concentrate more on expressing ideas rather than being critical of grammar errors. So as not to 

imply that grammar was not taught, we set aside specific times to address those issues.  

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Throughout the year, I, along with the classroom teacher of the experimental group, 

Group 1, implemented the above strategies with writer’s workshop. With the control group, 

Group 2, the classroom teacher and I simply followed the writer’s workshop curriculum with our 

ESOL students.  

At the end of the year, ACCESS data and post-instruction writing samples were gathered 

for analysis. The writing samples were scored using the same rubric from the beginning of the 

year.  To continue the necessary ongoing research in this particular area of concern for English 

language learners, an action research plan followed. We discussed at length not only what we 

could do to continue to help support ESL students in writing, but what techniques we could add.