A recent randomized controlled trial (RCT) by Wolbers and colleagues evaluated the effect of Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction (SIWI) on writing outcomes for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. SIWI, developed specifically for deaf learners, explicitly teaches the writing process, provides interactive and co-constructed writing opportunities, and helps learners develop metalinguistic and linguistic skills.

The RCT included students in grades 3 through 5 randomly assigned to the treatment (n=43) or business as usual control condition (n=36). Participants were students from different educational environments across the country, including self-contained or pullout classes in public schools or schools for the deaf. Teachers in the treatment condition administered the writing intervention 2 hours per week for nine weeks. The study found that the treatment students outperformed the control students on writing to recount (ES=+3.32) and writing information (ES=+1.12). Additionally, treatment students were assessed nine weeks after the intervention period had concluded and demonstrated they maintained the gains in writing to recount (ES=+3.12) and writing information (ES=+0.62). Findings from the study suggest SIWI may be an appropriate instructional model to improve short- and long-term writing outcomes of children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Source: Wolbers, K., Dostal, H., Graham, S., Branum-Martin, L., & Holcomb, L. (2022). Specialized writing instruction for deaf students: A randomized controlled trial. Exceptional Children, 88(2), 185–204. https://doi.org/10.1177/00144029211050849