Toward Deeper Understanding of Children’s Writing: Pre-Service Teachers’ Attention to Local and Global Text Features at the Start and End of Writing-Focused Coursework

ABSTRACT This mixed methods study sought to extend what is known about preservice teachers’ [PSTs’] enactment of the core practice of reading and responding to students’ writing by examining their reading of elementary students’ writing at the start and end of writing-focused methods coursework. PSTs’ reading of students’ writing involves analysis of children’s writing strengths and needs and undergirds their teaching of writing, influencing their feedback and instructional decision-making. Participants included 115 elementary PSTs. Their identifications of local and global text features on a beginning- and end-of-semester assessment task were examined. Overall, PSTs showcased differences in their reading of children’s writing at the two time points, displaying a lessened focus on local features (e.g., spelling, punctuation) and a greater focus on global features (e.g., content, structure) at the end of the semester. This trend was especially apparent in their identification of children’s instructional needs. Moreover, PSTs’ reading of children’s informative and persuasive writing tended to be similar to their reading of children’s narrative writing at both time points. The results offer insight into the text features PSTs make available for use in their subsequent responding and suggest the importance of highlighting global text features among children’s instructional needs.