Supporting Students' Writing From Sources at College Entry

Abstract

Most college writing involves writing from sources. Students are expected to read critically and integrate ideas from sources with their own ideas. The first section of this chapter is a review of research on instruction in writing from sources, or synthesis writing. The next section describes the authors' own research over the past decade with college students in developmental writing or integrated reading/writing courses. The instructional approach, called Supporting Strategic Writers, is based on research on strategy instruction with metacognitive self-regulation. Students learn strategies for critical reading and writing based on rhetorical analysis and genres. They also learn metacognitive strategies for goal setting, task management, progress monitoring, and reflection. Substantial research demonstrates effects on writing quality and motivation. The chapter includes an extended description of the strategies for writing from sources. The chapter concludes with reflections on adaptations for other groups of students and recommendations for instruction in high school and college.