The effects of self-regulated strategy development on the writing performance of second-grade students with behavioral and writing difficulties.(Report)

The effects of a secondary academic intervention, embedded in the context of a positive behavior support model, on the writing of second-grade students at risk for emotional and behavioral disorder and writing problems were examined in this study. Students were taught how to plan and draft a story using the self-regulated strategy development model. Results of this multiple-probe design revealed lasting improvements in story completeness, length, and quality for all 6 students. Students and teachers rated the intervention favorably, with some indicating that the intervention exceeded their expectations. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Keywords: self-regulated strategy development; emotional and behavioral disorders

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An estimated 2% to 20% of school-age youth exhibit behavioral patterns indicative of emotional or behavioral problems (Walker, Ramsey, & Gresham, 2004). Students with emotional and behavioral disorder (EBD) demonstrate externalizing (e.g., aggression, coercion, and delinquency) and internalizing (e.g., anxiety, depression, somatic complaints, and social withdrawal) behaviors that place them at risk for a host of negative outcomes, including impaired relationships with teachers and peers, school failure, underemployment and unemployment, and delinquent behaviors (Bullis & Yovanoff, 2006; Carter, Lane, Pierson, & Glaeser, 2006; Wagner & Davis, 2006). Although they are identified due to their social and behavioral issues, many students with EBD also struggle academically, experiencing severe academic deficits in reading, writing, and mathematics (Lane, Wehby, Little, & Cooley, 2005; Mattison, Spitznagel, & Felix, 1998; Nelson, Benner, Lane, & Smith, 2004). These academic deficits at best remain stable (Mattison, Hooper, & Glassberg, 2002) and at worst become more pronounced over time (Greenbaum et al., 1996; Nelson et al., 2004).

Currently, there is considerable consensus that the social, behavioral, and academic deficits of students with EBD become more resistant to intervention efforts as these children become older (Nelson et al., 2004). Bullis and Walker (1994) hypothesized that the window of prevention for these students closes at about age 8, when they enter third grade. Consequently, if the goal is to prevent the development of learning and behavioral problems in this population, it is imperative that intervention efforts take place during this window of opportunity--between ages 3 and 8 (Kazdin, 1987).