The Effects of Expressive Interactive Journaling on Word Fluency in Seventh-Grade English Language Arts Students

Abstract

Background : Trauma and its effects on affected individuals’ overall health and outcomes have been widely examined and documented by clinicians for decades. From increased incidences of anxiety and depression to chronic health disorders, trauma impacts every aspect of an individual’s functional, social, and emotional capacities. Findings of the most extensive study of childhood trauma resulting from abuse, neglect, and household labeled these instances, along with a host of others, as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Prolonged exposure to ACEs through adolescence challenges the child’s sense of safety, stability, bonding, and attachment. Further, severe numerable instances of traumatic experiences in childhood are associated with poorer cognitive performance and lower reading levels due, in part, to low word fluency. As the cornerstone for reading, students with low word fluency struggle to understand grade-level texts, routinely demonstrate poor performance on state Reading assessments and navigate social and emotional situations. As a result, these students are among the highest number of discipline referrals in schools. Schools must develop interventions to mitigate the effects of ACEs on academic performance and student behavior management, especially at the middle school level. Purpose : This study aimed to examine the impact of a researcher-created technique called Expressive Interactive Journaling on improving word fluency in seventh-grade English Language Arts students. The central question examined how engagement in Expressive Interactive Journaling paired with Reading Intervention improved the word fluency of a small group of seventh-grade English Language Arts as measured by the Texas Middle School Fluency Assessment (TMSFA). Participants : Inclusion criteria for this study included a sample of seventh-grade English Language Arts and Reading students who were administered the beginning of year (BOY) iteration of the TMSFA. The sampling of student participants comprised seventh- grade students who were administered and did not demonstrate proficiency on the BOY iteration of the TMSFA and were receiving campus-based Reading Intervention. Additionally, the student participants were of low socioeconomic status (SES), reported several ACEs, and had more than three office referrals in the preceding semester. Methods : Data from the student participant’s performance on the BOY iteration of the TMSFA served as the pretest. The premise and process of EIJ were outlined and modeled for student participants by the researcher and Reading Interventionist before intervention implementation. The word lists from the TMSFA were introduced in stages throughout the study, and participants engaged in EIJ sessions along with whole-word fluency instruction provided by the researcher and a middle school Reading Interventionist in structured 45-minute sessions. Data from student performance during and after the study intervention were outlined using descriptive statistics. Results : Findings indicated a positive correlation between the EIJ study intervention and student participant performance on the EOY iteration of the TMSFA. Moreover, data revealed that the use of EIJ served as a tool for participants to employ to mitigate negative outward responses in social and emotional situations and also mitigated office referrals for behavior for all study participants. Limitations and suggestions for future research are outlined within.