Karen's Free SRSD Teacher Materials

Improving Academic Achievement through Instruction in Self-Regulated Strategy Development: The Science Behind the Practice

IES has supported multiple research studies on SRSD for students with learning disabilities in K-12 and postsecondary general education settings. Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) is an evidence-based instructional approach characterized by active, discussion-based, scaffolded, and explicit learning of knowledge of the writing process; general and genre-specific knowledge; academic vocabulary; and validated strategies for teaching reading and writing. SRSD is used in as many as 10,000 classrooms across the United States and in 12 other countries. In this interview blog, we spoke with Dr. Karen Harris, the developer of SRSD, to learn more about this effective instructional strategy, the IES research behind it, and next steps for further scaling of SRSD so that more students can benefit.

Self-Regulated Strategy Development: Theoretical Bases, Critical Instructional Elements, and Future Research

By downloading this study, you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) for persuasive writing using informational text. This resource will provide a step-by-step guide on implementing SRSD in your classroom, backed by a robust evidence base from over 100 studies. You’ll learn about the theoretical foundations of SRSD, how it has evolved since the 1980s, and why it is effective. The book also addresses common misconceptions and highlights future research needs. This practical resource will equip you with strategies to enhance your students’ writing skills through scaffolded, explicit instruction and criterion-based learning.

Turning Broccoli Into Ice Cream Sundaes: Self-Regulated Strategy Development for Persuasive Writing Using Informational Text

By downloading this study, Turning Broccoli into Ice Cream Sundaes (Harris, Graham, Chambers, Houston), you will discover how to transform the challenging task of teaching persuasive writing into an engaging and successful experience for your students. This study investigates the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) approach, which integrates close reading of informational text with persuasive writing instruction. The study conducted with 4th and 5th-grade students from a diverse, low-income school demonstrates how SRSD can help struggling writers significantly improve their writing skills. Teachers will find detailed strategies, practical examples, and insights into implementing SRSD effectively to enhance their students’ writing abilities, making the process enjoyable and fruitful for both teachers and students.

This downloadable document provides lesson plans that supplement “Design Principles for Teaching Effective Writing,” which covers the theoretical foundations, key instructional elements, and future research directions of SRSD. Teachers will find detailed descriptions of SRSD instruction for the strategies POW + TREE + TWA, which are designed to enhance students’ opinions and persuasive writing skills using source texts. The materials, developed with the assistance of SRSD researchers Amber Ray and Julia Houston from Arizona State University, offer practical applications for teaching writing strategies. Additionally, these lesson plans build upon previous works, including “Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students” by Harris, Graham, Mason, and Friedlander (2008) and “Building Comprehension in Adolescents” by Mason, Reid, and Hagaman (2012). You can find both books under our “Recommended Resources” tab.

Over the past decade, numerous efforts, including studies like “Reading Next” (Biancarosa and Snow, 2004) and reviews by Scammacca et al. (2007) and Graham and Perin (2007a), have aimed to improve adolescent literacy skills. Writing, often overlooked, can enhance reading comprehension by helping students record, analyze, and connect ideas. The report “Writing to Read: Evidence for How Writing Can Improve Reading” by Steve Graham and Michael Hebert, published by the Alliance for Excellent Education and funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, explores the significant but often underappreciated relationship between writing and reading. The report identifies three core instructional practices that effectively boost reading skills through writing and emphasizes integrating writing into the reading curriculum to enhance learning and comprehension. It builds on the foundation laid by the earlier “Time to Act” reports, aiming to advance adolescent literacy for college and career readiness. This resource provides an executive summary, an introduction, evidence-based recommendations from a meta-analysis, and detailed strategies for classroom implementation. Additionally, it offers a future research agenda, thorough references, and appendices detailing the meta-analysis methodology and supporting studies. “Writing to Read” calls for more attention from researchers and policymakers on writing instruction as a crucial element of educational programs, advocating for a holistic approach to literacy that acknowledges the interconnectivity of reading and writing. By downloading this report, teachers receive practical, research-backed strategies to effectively integrate writing and reading instruction.

By downloading this study, teachers will gain access to an innovative set of instructional procedures designed to teach 4th and 5th grade students how to write persuasive essays based on close reading of source texts. This research involved eight students from a diverse, low-income school and utilized the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) approach, integrating discussion, modeling, explicit instruction, scaffolding, and collaboration. The study measured improvements in genre elements, holistic quality, word count, and writing plan complexity, showing significant gains in writing outcomes. Teachers will find detailed strategies for teaching persuasive writing, insights on how to support students with writing difficulties, and practical examples of how SRSD can be effectively implemented to enhance student writing skills in a classroom setting.

When downloading the “Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) in the Classroom: Part of a Balanced Approach to Writing Instruction for Students with Disabilities” report by Harris, Graham, and Mason, you will receive a comprehensive guide on using the SRSD intervention to enhance academic skills, particularly for students with learning disabilities. The document details a six-step process that transitions from teacher-led instruction to student independence, providing background knowledge, discussing, modeling, memorizing, supporting, and independently applying the strategy. It emphasizes self-regulation skills like goal-setting and self-monitoring, adaptable steps based on student needs, and applicability for grades 2 to 12. Included are practical implementation guidance, research summaries, and effectiveness assessments, particularly highlighting SRSD’s positive impact on writing achievement. It is a valuable resource for improving student writing and self-regulation skills.

When you download “Effective Writing Instruction for All Students” by Steve Graham, you receive a comprehensive guide designed to enhance writing instruction across grade levels. Written for Renaissance Learning, this publication offers seven evidence-based recommendations to improve students’ writing skills. These include dedicating time to writing across the curriculum, increasing students’ knowledge about writing, fostering their interest and motivation, helping them become strategic writers, teaching basic writing skills to mastery, leveraging technological tools, and using assessments to gauge progress and needs. The guide is grounded in scientific studies and practical teaching strategies, providing teachers with actionable steps to implement effective writing practices in their classrooms. It also emphasizes the importance of consistent and sustained writing instruction to ensure students become proficient writers from early grades through high school. By downloading this report, teachers gain valuable insights and tools to support all students, including those with learning difficulties, ultimately enhancing their academic performance and literacy skills.

When downloading this e-book chapter on SRSD instruction for RAFT writing, you will gain access to a comprehensive set of instructional materials designed to enhance their teaching practice. The lessons illustrate the six stages of SRSD instruction (develop prior knowledge, discuss it, model it, memorize it, support it, and independent practice), emphasizing the importance of self-regulation strategies throughout. The e-book includes detailed lesson plans for four sessions, mnemonic charts, planning sheets, and self-statement sheets to support student learning. Additionally, you will find sample RAFT prompts, anchor RAFTs for literature, social studies, and science, and a handout providing tips for developing a persona. This resource equips educators with the tools to effectively teach RAFT writing, assess students’ abilities, and tailor instruction to meet individual needs.

By downloading the study “Making it Work: Differentiating Tier Two Writing Instruction with Self-Regulated Strategy Development in Tandem with Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Support for Second Graders,” you will receive a comprehensive guide on enhancing writing instruction for second graders, particularly those with learning disabilities and behavioral challenges. This study explores the integration of Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) with Positive Behavioral Support (PBS), showcasing how these approaches can be adapted to meet the diverse needs of students. Teachers will learn about the six stages of SRSD instruction, practical strategies for differentiation, and real-life examples of how these methods have been successfully implemented to improve student writing outcomes. The report includes detailed case studies, modifications for individual learning styles, and insights on creating an inclusive and effective writing program within a schoolwide PBS framework.

When you download the IRIS case study “Written Expression: Grades 2-5” by Torri Lienemann and Robert Reid, you receive a valuable resource designed to address the writing challenges elementary and middle school students face. The study covers lower-level skills like handwriting, spelling, and grammar and higher-level skills such as idea formulation, planning, organizing, and revising text. It engages students in active learning and self-regulation through the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model. Specific strategies include POW + WWW, What=2, How=2 for narratives, and POW + TREE for persuasive essays, helping students systematically plan and organize their writing. The study demonstrates notable improvements in the quality and organization of students’ writing, with increased narrative elements and clearer argumentative structures in persuasive essays. Additionally, the guide provides STAR sheets with planning and organizing strategies for narratives and persuasive essays, revising strategies, and multiple case studies to illustrate practical application. This comprehensive resource equips educators with practical tools and interventions to support struggling writers, ultimately enhancing their academic performance and literacy skills.