Abstract:
Preschool children hold immense writing potential that is rarely realized in traditional
classrooms. This mixed-methods, quasi-experimental study focused on how best to teach
these emergent writers. By comparing the effects of interactive writing, writing
workshop, and traditional instruction, the study provided a clearer picture of how these
instructional approaches influence students’ writing achievement and processes. The
quantitative results of the study pointed to the effectiveness of both writing workshop and
interactive writing for improving students’ foundational writing skills. The qualitative
results supported these findings and highlighted how students differed in the extent they
identified as authors and played in their writing. Based on these findings, both writing
workshop and interactive writing might be effectively applied in preschool classrooms by
empowering emergent writers and providing opportunities to write.
