AbstractsPsychology

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact that using mentor texts in conjunction with the writing workshop would have on struggling first grade writers. A group of eight first grade students participated in the study. The participants had varying writing ability levels. During the study, the students were provided writing instruction with a variety of mentor texts during mini-lessons. After each lesson, the students were given between thirty to sixty minutes to write. The workshop sessions concluded with the students sharing self-selected writing pieces. This format was followed four days a week for the duration of four weeks. The data collection methods used were individual student interviews, anecdotal notes, student-teacher conferences, weekly conferencing records, workshop recordings, and a teacher research journal. The findings of this study suggested that mentor texts and the writing workshop model increased students’ interest in writing and their motivation to write. Additionally, a writing community was created throughout this process. Furthermore, the students’ awareness in writing developed along with an increase in their self-efficacy. Ultimately, the study concluded that utilizing mentor texts and the writing workshop increased students’ writing interests, created a sense of collaboration, and allowed students to take ownership of their learning.