The Science of Writing Instruction

40 Years of Research Shows What Works

The U.S./DOE What Works Clearing House and hundreds of writing studies show that one writing instruction process is most effective: Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD).

Surreal image of students studying around a digital brain, representing the science behind SRSD writing strategies.

Science of Writing Instruction Experts recommend SRSD

SRSD creator Dr. Karen Harris, renowned researcher Dr. Steve Graham and an international network of researchers have conducted extensive studies on effective writing instruction. These studies consistently demonstrate that SRSD is:

  • 4.5 times more effective than traditional writing instruction

They conclude that SRSD enhances writing skills across various genres and grade levels and supports students’ self-regulation and critical thinking growth. This collective body of evidence highlights SRSD as a proven, practical approach that empowers teachers to improve writing outcomes for all learners, regardless of their background or ability.

US DOE Study on Elementary Writing Instruction

“Strongest evidence rating.”

Institute of Education Sciences (IES)

The IES Practice Guide, “Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers” by Graham et al. (2012), presents evidence-based recommendations from the science of writing that align with the principles of SRSD. Self-Regulated Strategy Development has been identified as having the strongest impact on improving student writing, supported by consistent, causal, and generalizable evidence across diverse student populations. This research underscores SRSD’s effectiveness, and the practice guide integrates these insights to help teachers enhance their writing instruction.

Carnegie Study on Adolescent Writing Instruction

“The single largest effect of any approach to writing.”

Writing Next

The study “Writing Next: Effective Strategies to Improve Writing of Adolescents,” by Graham and Perin (2007), offers scientific evidence on effective writing interventions for middle and high school students. It identifies eleven key strategies, such as explicit instruction in writing strategies, summarization, and collaborative writing, significantly enhancing students’ writing skills. The findings show that these evidence-based approaches lead to substantial improvements in the quality and fluency of adolescent writing.

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Dr. Steve Graham

World-renowned Writing Instruction Researcher Recommends SRSD

Steve Graham’s groundbreaking research on SRSD and the science of writing—how it functions, evolves, and can be effectively taught—has profoundly reshaped the field of writing instruction. His work has provided critical insights as an advisor to the U.S. Department of Education and has played a pivotal role in driving evidence-based reforms shaping national and international curriculum development. Graham’s global research has set the standard for effective writing implementation, significantly advancing student literacy and academic success, solidifying his status as a leading figure in writing of science.

SRSD researcher Steve Graham leans against a tree with the title, “The science of writing

“SRSD is grounded in so much research and has been proven to enhance writing by integrating strategies, self-regulation, and cognitive processes, making it a scientifically supported teaching method.”

Dr. Steve Graham

Lead SRSD Researcher

How Effective is SRSD vs. Traditional Process Writing?

In his meta-analysis, SRSD lead researcher Dr. Steve Graham reviewed hundreds of studies to determine that

SRSD is 4.5 times better

at student writing success than traditional process writing instruction over 12 lessons. This big difference means students who learn to write using SRSD improve their writing skills significantly more than traditional methods. SRSD is like giving them a super boost!

Every Student Deserves The Science of Writing Instruction

SRSD, rooted in the Science of Writing, offers a flexible and robust framework for writing instruction. Extensive research proves its effectiveness across diverse cultures, grade levels, and student populations, including those with learning challenges. Its consistent success in varied environments highlights SRSD's ability to adapt to the unique needs of each classroom, making it an approach that drives significant improvements in student writing for learners of all backgrounds.

Students from diverse backgrounds working on computers, highlighting SRSD's effectiveness across cultures and levels.

“Scientifically, SRSD is proven to work time and again in different situations, writing genres, grade levels, countries, and cultures. SRSD consistently makes a difference in how well students write.”

Dr. Steve Graham

Lead SRSD Researcher

The Science of Writing has Proven Success and Widespread Use:

  • 10,000 Classrooms
    SRSD is implemented in around 10,000 classrooms across the U.S. and 12 other countries.
  • 1.0 – 2.55 Effect Size
    Science of writing research frequently finds unbelievable effect sizes for SRSD in writing performance and emotional outcomes, with an average of 1.2.
  • Diversity of use
    Multiple research teams have replicated SRSD effectiveness across writing genres, diverse student populations, learning disabilities, and emotional or behavioral disorders.
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Dr. Karen Harris

From the Science of Learning to the Science of Writing

Karen Harris has devoted her career to transforming writing instruction for educators. She developed SRSD to equip teachers with the most effective evidence-based writing and learning practices for their classrooms. Through her pioneering research and advocacy for practice-based professional development (PBPD), she made her insights widely accessible, trained a network of researchers to broaden SRSD’s impact, and supported colleagues in advancing their independent work. Her efforts have brought SRSD and the Science of Writing to the forefront of educational practice.

Watch Dr. Karen Harris discuss the developmental nature of writing.

"Over the past 40 years, developing SRSD and advancing writing instruction alongside my dedicated colleagues has been an incredibly rewarding journey. There's nothing more fulfilling than witnessing how it transforms learning and writing in the classroom by seeing a child’s eyes light up."

Dr. Karen Harris

SRSD Creator

The Science of Writing Research

Studies by Steve Graham, Karen Harris, and colleagues demonstrate the extensive impact of SRSD and the Science of Writing.

Meta-Analysis of Elementary Writing
Instruction

Graham et al. 2012

This comprehensive meta-analysis evaluates various writing instruction methods, including SRSD. It establishes a solid empirical foundation for SRSD’s effectiveness at the elementary level, significantly improving students’ writing skills and enhancing student outcomes.

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A Meta-Analysis of Writing Treatments for Students in Grades 6–12

Graham et al. 2023

The meta-analysis examines the effectiveness of various writing interventions for middle and high school students. The study finds that evidence-based SRSD significantly improves students’ writing abilities across these grade levels, demonstrating a positive and statistically detectable impact on students’ writing and reading.

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The Writing of Students with LD and a Meta-Analysis of SRSD Writing Intervention Studies: Redux

Graham, Harris, and McKeown, 2013

This chapter synthesizes findings from over 80 studies, focusing on the effectiveness of SRSD for students with learning disabilities. It highlights the broad and substantial benefits of SRSD across diverse educational settings, demonstrating its ability to improve these students’ writing skills significantly.

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Teaching Writing to At-Risk Students: The Quality of Evidence for Self-Regulated Strategy Development

2009

The study “Teaching Writing to At-Risk Students: The Quality of Evidence for Self-Regulated Strategy Development” (2009) establishes SRSD as an evidence-based practice. It was published in Exceptional Children and demonstrates SRSD’s effectiveness in improving writing skills among at-risk students. The study underscores SRSD’s empirical support and potential to significantly enhance educational outcomes for this student population.

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Tier 1, Teacher-Implemented Self-Regulated Strategy Development for Students with and without Behavioral Challenges: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Harris et al., 2012

The study “Tier 1, Teacher-Implemented Self-Regulated Strategy Development for Students with and without Behavioral Challenges: A Randomized Controlled Trial” (Harris et al., 2012) explores the effectiveness of SRSD in general education settings. Published in the Elementary School Journal, the research demonstrates that SRSD significantly improves writing outcomes for students with and without behavioral challenges. This randomized controlled trial highlights SRSD’s versatility and effectiveness as a Tier 1 intervention in diverse classroom environments.

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Professional Development for Multicomponent Strategy-Focused Writing Instruction: Knowledge Gained and Challenges Remaining

Harris, Camping, & McKeown

The review “Professional Development for Multicomponent Strategy-Focused Writing Instruction: Knowledge Gained and Challenges Remaining” (Harris, Camping, & McKeown) examines the research on professional development for SRSD. It highlights the successes and insights gained from implementing SRSD-focused training for educators, emphasizing its positive impact on teaching practices and student outcomes. The review also addresses the ongoing challenges and areas for improvement in designing and evaluating effective professional development for writing instruction.

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The Science of Writing and Reading

Writing Science shows that reading and writing are mutually reinforcing, each enhancing overall literacy skills through their powerful, interconnected relationship. This makes SRSD the perfect complement to student success.

Writing Strengthens Reading

The Carnegie Corporation’s report, “Writing to Read: Evidence for How Writing Can Improve Reading” (2010), is a vital resource that highlights the scientific basis of the reciprocal relationship between reading and writing. The report presents compelling evidence that writing activities—such as summarizing texts, taking notes, and composing extended responses—significantly enhance reading comprehension and information retention. The findings are clear: writing about what they read enables students to process and understand texts more deeply, ultimately leading to stronger reading skills.

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