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Writing fluency and quality in kindergarten and first grade: the role of attention, reading, transcription, and oral language

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Abstract

In the present study, we examined the influence of kindergarten component skills on writing outcomes, both concurrently and longitudinally to first grade. Using data from 265 students, we investigated a model of writing development including attention regulation along with students’ reading, spelling, handwriting fluency, and oral language component skills. Results from structural equation modeling demonstrated that a model including attention was better fitting than a model with only language and literacy factors. Attention, a higher-order literacy factor related to reading and spelling proficiency, and automaticity in letter-writing were uniquely and positively related to compositional fluency in kindergarten. Attention and higher-order literacy factor were predictive of both composition quality and fluency in first grade, while oral language showed unique relations with first grade writing quality. Implications for writing development and instruction are discussed.

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Notes

  1. A CFA with a single factor “literacy” variable was also conducted resulting in significantly worse fit than either the correlated factor or higher-order factor model.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Grant P50HD052120 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and Grant R305B04074 from the Institute of Education Sciences. Dr. Petscher’s time was also supported by Grant R305F100005 from the Institute of Education Sciences. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institutes of Health, or the Institute of Education Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Florida Center for Reading Research and School of Teacher Education, Florida State University, 2010 Levy Avenue, Suite 100, Tallahassee, FL, 32310, USA

    Shawn Kent, Jeanne Wanzek & Young-Suk Kim

  2. Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Southern Methodist University, University Park, TX, USA

    Stephanie Al Otaiba

  3. Florida Center for Reading Research, Florida State University, 2010 Levy Avenue, Suite 100, Tallahassee, FL, 32310, USA

    Yaacov Petscher

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  1. Shawn Kent
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  2. Jeanne Wanzek
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Correspondence to Shawn Kent.

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Kent, S., Wanzek, J., Petscher, Y. et al. Writing fluency and quality in kindergarten and first grade: the role of attention, reading, transcription, and oral language. Read Writ 27, 1163–1188 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-013-9480-1

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