My research mostly involves students' writing, but it also focuses on reading, reading and writing connections, and self-regulation.
Dr. Steve Graham is the Warner Professor in the Division of Leadership and Innovation in Teachers College. For over 30 years he has studied how writing develops, how to teach it effectively, and how writing can be used to support reading and learning. In recent years, he has been involved in the development and testing of digital tools for supporting writing and reading through a series of grants from the Institute of Educational Sciences and the Office of Special Education Programs in the U.S. Department of Education. His research involves typically developing writers and students with special needs in both elementary and secondary schools, with much of this occurring in classrooms in urban schools.
Steve is the former editor of Exceptional Children, Contemporary Educational Psychology, Journal of Writing Research, Focus on Exceptional Children, and he is the current editor of the Journal of Educational Psychology. He is the co-author of the Handbook of Writing Research, Handbook of Learning Disabilities, APA Handbook of Educational Psychology, Writing Better, Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students, and Making the Writing Process Work. He is also the author of three influential Carnegie Corporation reports: Writing Next,Writing to Read, and Informing Writing.
More About Dr. Steve Graham
Steve has served as an advisor to a variety of organizations, including UNESCO, National Institute of Health, National Writing Project, and the What Works Clearinghouse. He was the chair of the What Works Clearinghouse guide Teaching Elementary School Students to be Effective Writers, and he is currently chairing a similar What Works Clearinghouse guide for teaching writing at the secondary level. Steve was a member of the National Research Conference committee on adolescent and adult literacy. He has provided background information for a wide variety of magazine, newspaper, television, and radio reports including National Geographic, Time, Newsweek, La Monde, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, USA Today, National Public Radio, CBS Sunday Morning News, and NBC Today Show.
He is the recipient of the Career Research Award from the International Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), the Kauffman-Hallahan Distinguished Researcher Award from the Division of Research (CEC), Samuel A. Kirk Award from the Division of Learning Disabilities (CEC), Distinguished Researcher Award from the Special Education Special Interest Group of the American Education Research Association, J. Lee Weiderhot Lecture Award from the Council of Learning Disabilities, and the Don Johnston Literacy Lectureship Award for career contributions to literacy. He also received an award from the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at ASU in 2015 for Outstanding Research with Sustained Impact. The award that is closest to his heart, though, is Distinguished Alumni Award from Valdosta State University, as his mother was able to participate in the awards ceremony and it took place in his hometown of Valdosta, Georgia.
Steve is a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association, a Fellow of Division 15 (Educational Psychology) of the American Psychological Association, as well as a Fellow of the International Academy for Research in Learning Disabilities.
Research Expertise
• Assessment • At-Risk Students • Cognitive Processes/Development • Comprehension • Effect Size • Efficacy • Evidence Based Education • Instructional Practices • Literacy • Meta-Analysis • Reading • Special Education • Teaching and Learning • Writing
EDITORSHIPS
Journal of Learning Disabilities
Editorial Board Member
Journal of Writing Research
Editor
AWARDS
2015 Kauffman-Hallahan Distinguished Researcher Award
Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Research
This award recognizes individuals or research teams whose research has resulted in more effective services or education for exceptional individuals. Recipients of this award are recognized for both the creation of a research base and the work done to translate this research into practice.
Outstanding Research with Sustained Impact
Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, ASU
Fellow, APA Division 15, Educational Psychology
American Psychological Association
Fellow, AERA
American Educational Research Association
Recognition for career contributions to educational research.
J. Lee Weiderholt Distinguished Lecturer Award
Council for Learning Disabilties
Teachers College professor Steve Graham received the J. Lee Weiderholt Distinguished Lecturer Award from the Council for Learning Disabilities for his research contributions in the study of learning disabilities. The award was presented at the Council’s 34th Annual Conference on Learding Disabilities, held in Austin, TX, October 10-11, 2012, where Dr. Graham was a featured keynote speaker.
SELECTED WORK
Journal article
Harris, K. R., Graham, S., & Adkins, M. (2015). Practice-based professional development and Self-Regulated Strategy Development for Tier 2 at-risk writers in second grade. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 40, 5-16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2014.02.003
Journal article
Festas, I, Oliveira, A., Rebelo, J, Damião, M., Harris, K.R., & Graham, S. (2015). The effects of self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) on the writing performance of eighth grade Portuguese students.Contemporary Educational Psychology, 40, 17-27.
Book
Graham, S., MacArthur, C., & Fitzgerald, J. (2013). Best practices in writing instruction (Second Edition). NY: Guilford.
Book
Swanson, L., Harris, K. R., & Graham, S. (2013). Handbook of learning disabilities (Second Edition). NY: Guilford.
Book
Harris, K. R., Graham, S., & Urdan, T. (2012). APA Educational Psychology Handbook (3 Volumes). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
Journal article
Graham, S., Kiuhara, S., McKeown, D., & Harris, K.R. (2012). A meta-analysis of writing instruction for students in the elementary grades. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104, 879-896.
Journal article
Graham, S., & Hebert, M. (2011). Writing-to-read: A meta-analysis of the impact of writing and writing instruction on reading. Harvard Educational Review, 81, 710-744.