A classroom investigation of the growth of metacognitive awareness in kindergarten children through the writing process

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What the study found

Regular interviews with the children confirmed that they were exhibiting and showing growth in their metacognition. They provided appropriate answers to questions that required them to talk about their thinking and identify strategies that helped them in their writing.

In particular, the study found that:

children used 'metacognitive terms' to answer the researcher's questions, using the words 'thinking' and 'thought' in answers. All children used these words at least once in the study; many used them repeatedly. These words were used both in response to questions using these words and ones that did not. Other metacognitive words used were ‘mind,’ 'idea', 'remembered,' and 'reminded';
the children were asked the same six questions every two weeks, the first four of which required an ascending degree of metacognitive awareness to answer. By the end of the study, all participants could answer the first question appropriately and 75% the second. The third and fourth questions had fewer appropriate responses but the number of both increased, and by the end of the study there had been 42 (out of 182) appropriate responses to the fourth (most difficult question);
question five, the one that tested the children's awareness of writing strategies obtained 142 appropriate answers out of 182 over the course of the study;
at the beginning of the study, only half the children were writing any words at all, by the end of the study all children could write at least some words;
during the course of the study, the number of words the children wrote increased from an average of 1.6 words per child per session in October to 5.6 words per child per session in March;
the children's proficiency also increased in terms of:

a decrease in random letters;
an increase in children writing stories;
an increase in 'temporary spelling' (guessing how to spell unfamiliar words); and
an increase in 'conventional' (accurate) spelling and re-reading;

during the course of the study, children began asking their classmates the same research interview questions (e.g. how did you decide what to write about today?). The author saw this as a sign the children were beginning to incorporate thinking about thinking into their daily thought processes.

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Research Home Themes \| Find digests \| About the digests resources glossary researchers contact TRIPS Introduction What is metacognition and how does it fit into in early literacy? What the study found What was the aim and the design of this study? What are the implications of the study? Where can I find out more? Send us your feedback Collated digests To view/remove/add notes and save your collated digests click here Get Word Reader A classroom investigation of the growth of metacognitive awareness in kindergarten children through the writing process This digest found in Early years English Thinking skills Send to a friend Word doc 50KB Printer friendly Collate for later What the study found Regular interviews with the children confirmed that they were exhibiting and showing growth in their metacognition. They provided appropriate answers to questions that required them to talk about their thinking and identify strategies that helped them in their writing. In particular, the study found that: children used 'metacognitive terms' to answer the researcher's questions, using the words 'thinking' and 'thought' in answers. All children used these words at least once in the study; many used them repeatedly. These words were used both in response to questions using these words and ones that did not. Other metacognitive words used were ‘mind,’ 'idea', 'remembered,' and 'reminded'; the children were asked the same six questions every two weeks, the first four of which required an ascending degree of metacognitive awareness to answer. By the end of the study, all participants could answer the first question appropriately and 75% the second. The third and fourth questions had fewer appropriate responses but the number of both increased, and by the end of the study there had been 42 (out of 182) appropriate responses to the fourth (most difficult question); question five, the one that tested the children's awareness of writing strategies obtained 142 appropriate answers out of 182 over the course of the study; at the beginning of the study, only half the children were writing any words at all, by the end of the study all children could write at least some words; during the course of the study, the number of words the children wrote increased from an average of 1.6 words per child per session in October to 5.6 words per child per session in March; the children's proficiency also increased in terms of: a decrease in random letters; an increase in children writing stories; an increase in 'temporary spelling' (guessing how to spell unfamiliar words); and an increase in 'conventional' (accurate) spelling and re-reading; during the course of the study, children began asking their classmates the same research interview questions (e.g. how did you decide what to write about today?). The author saw this as a sign the children were beginning to incorporate thinking about thinking into their daily thought processes.