Meeting All Students’ Needs Within A Scripted Writing Curriculum: A Self-Study

Abstract

This qualitative study, conducted in a kindergarten classroom at an urban charter school, investigated what happened when a teacher implemented a scripted writing curriculum. The study sought to examine how the teacher met individual student needs within the parameters of a scripted curriculum. It also sought to examine what happens when such a scripted curriculum is used. The teacher collected data in the form of lesson plans and a research journal. Lesson plans were delivered as scripted, but at times were adapted by the teacher. Each day after lesson delivery, the teacher wrote in a research journal, reflecting on the lesson using key guiding questions. Data wereanalyzed using continual interim analysis through coding, and multiple themes emerged from the data. The implications from this study are that in order to maximize student learning within a scripted curriculum, teachers must be well-versed in current research on emergent writing, and be prepared to adapt the scripted curriculum accordingly.