In many states, writing is tested only in selected grades causing writing instruction often to be over-emphasized some years and neglected in others. The present study examines how students’ motivation for writing differs during the middle school years. We administered the Self-Beliefs, Writing Beliefs, and Attitude Survey (SWAS) to a cross-sectional sample of students at two middle schools shortly after the 7th graders completed a high-stakes writing exam. Results indicate that 6th and 8th graders had higher average scores of writing motivation compared to their 7th-grade peers, with 6th graders possessing higher average levels of attitude toward writing and beliefs about writing compared to 8th graders. The varying pressure and absence of writing may be influencing students’ motivation to write and views of writing.

In recent years, there has been growing interest in multimodal literacies used in various teaching and learning contexts, especially in K-12 classrooms. To develop multiple abilities of students, K-12 teachers tend to utilize both print-based and digital texts to facilitate instructional practices in class. However, there are few syntheses of the existing scholarly work to explore how instructional practices of multimodal literacies can effectively support different lingual and cultural backgrounds of students in K-12 education. The current study reviews the empirical research that focused on multimodal literacies in K-12 instructional practices from 2000 to 2020, considering how educators utilized multimodal literacies in different content areas to develop multiple competences of students. Through a systematic literature review method, we analyzed the empirical research focused on teaching and learning effectiveness with multimodal literacies in different K-12 classroom settings. We close with a discussion of the implications of these findings for educators and future directions of this work.

After third grade, students’ motivation and enjoyment of writing begins to wane, and this trend continues through most of their education. Middle grade students especially need high-quality writing instruction; however, many teachers report feeling inadequately prepared to teach writing. To combat these issues, teacher preparation programs should understand how their preservice teachers feel about writing and teaching writing. The present study surveyed 150 middle grade preservice teachers to determine their self-efficacy beliefs about writing and writing instruction. Results indicate that preservice teachers valued writing, but did not feel confident with many specific aspects of writing instruction.

Stagnant standardized test scores keep literacy achievement at the forefront of national education discussions. Increased conversations about the science of reading have propelled investigations into different types of phonics instruction. However, questions still linger such as “Which strategies are most effective for which students?”, “How should interventions be structured for the best results?”, and “Which school personnel should deliver these interventions?” To begin answering these questions, we conducted the present systematic literature review to synthesize the research surrounding phonics instruction for the last ten years in grades kindergarten through third using the systematic review methodology. Three overarching themes about phonics instruction emerged: (a) professional learning to foster a deep understanding of language; (b) instructional resources to support teachers with limited content or pedagogical knowledge; and (c) intervention intensity in relation to length and other factors. This review takes an in-depth look at what we, as scholars, know about phonics instruction and what we still need to know to advance reading scores.