A CHILD’S PROGRESS IN WRITING FLUENCY THROUGH REPEATED

WRITING OF GRADE THREE STUDENTS OF NEW LAWAAN

MLANG NORTH COTABATO

MARIA KATRINA C. AREVALO

RENA MIE A. BUENAFLOR

A CASE STUDY SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, SOUTHERN

BAPTIST COLLEGE, IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR

THE DEGREE OF

BACHELOR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

(Major in English)

APRIL 2025
 ABSTRACT

This qualitative case study investigates the impact of repeated writing on the spelling

accuracy and writing fluency of a Grade 3 pupil of New Lawaan Elementary School. The

research aimed to identify specific spelling difficulties and evaluate the effectiveness of

a targeted writing intervention using repeated writing tasks and spelling instruction. Pre-

intervention assessments revealed multiple spelling challenges, including phonetic

errors, silent letter omissions, and confusion with vowel and consonant patterns.

Following the intervention, which emphasized repetition, modeling, and individualized

support, the student showed significant progress, correctly spelling 19 out of 20 words—

up from just 2 prior to the intervention. The findings support the application of Edward

Thorndike’s theory of learning through repetition and stimulus-response reinforcement,

demonstrating that repeated writing can enhance visual memory, orthographic

awareness, and overall writing confidence. The study underscores the importance of

early, consistent writing practice and provides actionable insights for educators, parents,

and researchers aiming to support students’ literacy development.

 INTRODUCTION

Writing fluency, defined as the ability to write with speed and accuracy, is a

critical skill that develops progressively during childhood. Research highlights the

importance of repeated writing practices in enhancing fluency by fostering automaticity

in lower-level skills such as handwriting and spelling, which allows children to focus on

higher-level cognitive processes like idea generation and composition. Writing functions

as a medium for gathering, retaining, and conveying information (Graham, MacArthur, &

Fitzgerald, 2007). McHale and Cermak (1992) reported students spend approximately

30-60% of their time at school writing on paper; however, with the growing use of

computers, keyboards, and other systems of technology, this time on task has likely

decreased.

Despite the progressively digital world we live in, handwriting remains a central

form of graphic communication in schools. Evidence of the impact of handwriting on the

development of foundational literacy skills helps explain the importance of its continued

instruction (Berninger et al., 2009). Problems with writing are associated with lower

academic achievement, greater risk of dropping out, and decreased chances of college

acceptance (Graham & Perin, 2007). A meta-analysis on the influence of writing on

learning, found writing about content material improved students’ performance in

multiple school subjects, including mathematics, social studies, science, and language

arts—further demonstrating a connection between writing abilities and overall academic

performance (Bangert-Drowns, Hurley, & Wilkinson, 2004). Addressing writing skills

during elementary grade levels may help decrease the present gap in proficiency, as
evidence increasingly shows greater success in addressing literacy problems early on,

rather than intervening during later years (Slavin, Madden, & Karweit, 1989).

The present study will examine whether a writing fluency intervention using

modeling and repeated writing practice improves the writing fluency of early elementary

school students. Few studies have specifically targeted writing fluency. Additionally,

current research on writing fluency instruction offers limited evidence of the

interventions’ success with increasing accuracy measures of writing. This study will also

evaluate the changes in other measures of writing quality in students receiving the

intervention. This information will help ascertain the success and potential uses of a

writing fluency intervention based on the repeated reading model of instruction. Edward

Thorndike’s theory is the support of this study, when it’s applied to student learning, it

emphasizes several key factors – the role of the environment, breaking tasks into detail

parts, the importance of student responses, building stimulus-response connections,

utilizing prior knowledge, repetition through drills and exercises, and giving

rewards/praise. Learning is results-focused, with the measurement of observable

outcomes. Errors are immediately corrected. Repetition aims to ingrain behaviors until

they become habit. This theory effectively promotes preparation, readiness, practice,

feedback, praise for progress, and sequential mastery from simple to complex. This

style is most applicable for skill acquisition requiring significant practice. For students,

the theory instills habits of repetition, progress tracking, and associate positive

outcomes to effort. Thorndike’s theory explains that learning is the formation of

connections between stimuli and responses.

 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What are the spelling difficulty of the child/respondents?

2. What is the effect of repeated writing on the respondents writing/spelling abilities?

Significance of the study

For the students

Regular writing practice helps students develop greater confidence in their writing

abilities. When students engage in writing frequently, they become more comfortable

with the process, leading to reduced anxiety around writing tasks and greater self-

assurance in expressing their thoughts. This can positively affect their performance in

both formal academic writing assignments and informal writing tasks.

For the teachers

Teachers will gain insights into how providing timely, constructive feedback during

repeated writing exercises can accelerate student progress. This knowledge can help

teachers develop more effective strategies for guiding students through the revision and

editing processes, fostering improvement in both writing mechanics and content quality.

For the parents

It offers insights into how they can support and encourage their child’s writing

development at home. Writing is a foundational skill that impacts not only academic

performance but also communication abilities in everyday life. By understanding the

impact of repeated writing practice, parents can play a key role in fostering their child’s

growth as a confident and capable writer.

 METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the methodology of the study which includes research design,

participants, data collection tool, and data analysis methods.

Research Design

This case study will employ a qualitative research design, focusing on in-depth

observation, interpretation of a single child's writing progress. The study will involve

regular writing tasks with the child engaging in writing exercises. The research will

explore how repeated exposure to writing affects various factors like writing fluency,

confidence, and motivation.

Participants

The participant of this study is a grade 3 pupil of New Lawaan Elementary School. The

researchers provide a parent consent the day before the study conduct. Who has

demonstrated some level of writing difficulty. This child will be observed over period of

twenty-four hours to track progress in writing.

Data collection

In this study, the researcher will focus on one participant to closely observe how their

writing fluency develops over time. The data will be collected by observing the

participant complete writing tasks. As part of the intervention, spelling instruction will be

introduced to help improve the participant’s fluency. This study helps us understand how

repeated writing can help one child to get better. Pre- and post-intervention checklists

measure progress, assessing the impact of repeated writing practice.

 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The results of this study show that the spelling intervention had a noticeable

positive impact on the student’s writing fluency. At the start, the student struggled with

spelling many of the words. Out of the 20 words provided, 18 were misspelled in some

way. Common errors included mixing up vowels (e.g., "Dectonari" instead of

"Dictionary") and swapping consonants (e.g., "Poltri" instead of "Poultry").

After the intervention, the student’s performance greatly improved. The number of

correctly spelled words jumped from just 1 to 19 out of 20. The only one words that

were still misspelled after the intervention were " Encyiclopidea " (which had been

written as ""Encyclopedia). This improvement shows that the spelling lessons were

successful in helping the student learn how to spell challenging words.

The result from this study suggested that spelling instruction, especially when

tailored to the individual needs of the student, can have a significant impact on writing

fluency. It was clear that the student not only learned how to spell the words more

accurately but also became more confident in their ability to write them correctly.
Table 1. Word List and Pre-Intervention Representations

Words Pre Intervention

It It
Bush Bus
Loved Love
Flutter Flut
Dictionary Dectonari
Encyclopedia Ensaiklopidia
Celery Siliry
Cure Kur
Desk Dex
Excuse Ekyus
Finland Fineland
Imagine Emagin
Island Erland
Ladder Leder
Loaf Lop
Manner Manir
Naughty Nuti
Poultry Poltri
Wind Wind
Witch Wits

1. The Spelling Difficulties of the Child/Respondents

The analysis of the "Before Intervention" data revealed that the child faced several

common spelling challenges. One of the most prominent issues was phonetic spelling,

where the child relied heavily on how words sound rather than their conventional
spellings (e.g., *Cure* → *Kur*, *Excuse* → *Ekyus*), indicating an early stage of

spelling development. There was also noticeable confusion between vowels and

consonants, as seen in examples like *Celery* → *Siliry* and *Manner* → *Manir*,

which suggest difficulty in distinguishing similar-sounding phonemes. The child often

omitted silent letters, as in *Island* → *Erland* and *Naughty* → *Nuti*, reflecting an

underdeveloped awareness of English orthographic conventions. Morphological and

suffix-related errors were also evident, such as *Flut* for *Flutter* and *Love* for

*Loved*, pointing to limited understanding of word formation and grammatical endings.

The child particularly struggled with irregular and multisyllabic words like *Dictionary*

and *Encyclopedia*, which are not easily deduced through phonetic strategies. These

findings are consistent with existing research, which shows that early spellers typically

depend on sound-based strategies before they acquire the more complex rules of

English spelling (Treiman, 1993; Bear et al., 2020).

Table 2. Word List with Pre- and Post-Intervention Spellings

Words Before Intervention After Intervention

It It It
Bush Bus Bush
Loved Love Loved
Flutter Flut Flutter
Dictionary Dectonari Dictionary
Encyclopedia Ensaiklopidia Encyiclopidea
Celery Siliry Celery
Cure Kur Cure
Desk Dex Desk
Excuse Ekyus Excuse
Finland Fineland Finland
Imagine Emagin Imagine
Island Erland Island
Ladder Leder Ladder
Loaf Lop Loaf
Manner Manir Manner
Naughty Nuti Naughty
Poultry Poltri Poultry
Wind Wind Wind
Witch Wits Witch

2. The Effect of Repeated Writing on Spelling Ability

The "After Intervention" data shows a notable improvement in the child’s spelling

accuracy across almost all target words. Out of the 20 words assessed, 19 were spelled

correctly following repeated writing activities. Many of the words that were previously
misspelled, such as *Flut* → *Flutter*, *Dectonari* → *Dictionary*, and *Poltri* →

*Poultry*, were corrected, demonstrating significant progress. The child exhibited

enhanced visual memory and a clearer understanding of word structure, particularly

with multi-syllabic and irregular words. Words containing silent letters or complex vowel

combinations were spelled accurately, suggesting an increased awareness of

orthographic and morphological patterns in English. These improvements align with

existing research, which indicates that repeated writing supports spelling development

by reinforcing orthographic patterns, strengthening muscle memory, and improving word

recognition (Graham & Harris, 2005; Berninger & Richards, 2002).

 Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations

Summary

This study, titled “A Child’s Progress in Writing Fluency through Repeated Writing,”

explored the effects of repeated writing on the spelling and writing fluency of a Grade 3

pupil at New Lawaan Elementary School. Using a qualitative case study approach, the

research focused on identifying spelling difficulties before a writing intervention and

assessing the impact of repeated writing tasks after the intervention. Initial assessments

revealed that the participant exhibited several spelling challenges, including phonetic

spelling errors, vowel and consonant confusion, omission of silent letters, and difficulty

with irregular or multisyllabic words. Only 2 out of 20 words was correctly spelled before

the intervention.

After repeated writing practice and spelling instruction tailored to the child's needs,

significant progress was observed. The number of correctly spelled words increased to

19 out of 20, demonstrating marked improvement in spelling accuracy, particularly in

complex and irregular words. These results support existing research that emphasizes

the role of repetition, modeling, and explicit instruction in improving foundational literacy

skills.

Conclusions

Spelling Difficulties Identified: The child displayed early-stage spelling behaviors

characterized by reliance on phonetic spelling and difficulty with word structures.

Common errors included vowel confusion, silent letter omission, and improper use of

suffixes.
Effectiveness of Repeated Writing: Repeated writing proved to be an effective

method in improving spelling accuracy and writing fluency. The child developed better

visual memory, orthographic awareness, and confidence in writing. 95% of the words

assessed were spelled correctly after the intervention, highlighting the strong impact of

targeted, repetitive practice.

Alignment with Educational Theory and Research: The findings align with

Thorndike’s theory of learning through repetition and reinforcement. The results also

reflect previous studies that emphasize the importance of writing fluency in overall

academic success (Graham & Harris, 2005; Berninger et al., 2009).

Recommendations

For Educators: Integrate repeated writing exercises into daily instruction, particularly

for students showing signs of spelling or writing difficulties. Use individualized

instruction and feedback to address specific error patterns. Implement visual aids,

phonics games, and structured writing routines to support spelling development.

For Parents: Encourage children to practice writing regularly at home through journals

and creative storytelling. Offer support and praise for writing efforts to boost confidence

and reinforce learning. Work collaboratively with teachers to monitor progress and

address challenges early.

For Future Researchers: Conduct similar studies with larger groups to explore the

generalizability of findings. Investigate long-term retention of spelling improvements

following repeated writing interventions. Compare different types of writing interventions

methods (e.g., typing vs. handwriting, independent writing vs. guided practice).
References

Graham, S., MaCarthur, C. A., & Fitzgerald, J. (Eds.). (2007). Best practices in writing

instruction. Guilford Press.

McHale, K., & Cermak, S. A. (1992). Fine motor activities in elementary school:

Preliminary findings and provisional implications for children with fine motor problems.

American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 46, 898–903

Berninger, V. W., Abbott, R. D., Augsburger, A., & Garcia, N. (2009). Comparison of pen

and keyboard transcription modes in children with and without learning disabilities.

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Graham, S., Perin, D., (2007) A Meta-Analysis of Writing Instruction for Adolescent

Students. Journal of Educational Psychology.

Bangert-Drowns, R. L., Hurley, M. M., & Wilkinson, B. (2004). The effects of school-

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(Eds.), Effective programs for students at risk (pp. 21–54). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Treiman, R. (1993). Beginning to Spell: A Study of First-Grade Children. Oxford

University Press.
Graham, S., & Harris, K. R. (2005). Improving the writing performance of young

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Psychologists. Academic Press.

 APPENDICES

Appendix A

Words Before Intervention After Intervention

It It It

Bush Bus Bush

Loved Love Loved
Flutter Flut Flutter
Dictionary Dectonari Dictionary
Encyclopedia Ensaiklopidia Encyiclopidea
Celery Siliry Celery
Cure Kur Cure
Desk Dex Desk
Excuse Ekyus Excuse
Finland Fineland Finland
Imagine Emagin Imagine
Island Erland Island
Ladder Leder Ladder
Loaf Lop Loaf
Manner Manir Manner
Naughty Nuti Naughty
Poultry Poltri Poultry
Wind Wind Wind
Witch Wits Witch
 Appendix B

(Parent consent)
 Appendix C

(pictures taken during the study)