Abstract

One current and increasingly common trend in elementary and early childhood English Language Arts (ELA) instruction is the use of scripted literacy programs requiring teachers to implement the curriculum with fidelity. This has consequences for writing instruction as students continue to score below proficiency levels on national writing assessments (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2011), and the tendency for a mismatch between recommended writing instruction and classroom practice. Therefore, the purpose of this content analysis was to explore the writing instruction found in the Knowledge Strand of the 2nd-grade Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) curriculum. Analyses revealed three overarching themes: (a) all writing found in the curriculum was a form of school writing; (b) various formats complicated but did not change the purpose of school writing; and (c) specific teaching practices used to teach school writing. Findings highlighted gaps in the presence of meaningful writing in the curriculum, teacher autonomy, and tensions as teachers enact scripted curriculum. Possible implications of this work include ensuring scripted curriculum contains both meaningful writing experiences and research-based practices and providing teachers with autonomy and trust to implement curriculum in ways that benefit students. This study may contribute to research examining early writing instructional practices as well as the use of scripted curriculum in elementary and early childhood settings.

Degree

MA

College and Department

David O. McKay School of Education; Teacher Education

Rights

https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2026-07-23

Document Type

Thesis

Keywords

writing instruction, scripted curriculum, early childhood, elementary writing

Language

english

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