Freewriting for fluency and flow in eighth and ninth grade reading classes

Abstract

This study examined the experiences of students in regular freewriting sessions.Freewriting is defined as nonstop writing during which the writer may freely move through topics but may not stop writing. This sustained writing, as this study explored, builds fluency in student writing, generates motivation to write, and promotes flow experiences for student writers. This qualitative case study included some quantitative data as well, thus a form of mixed method research was conducted, including interviews, student writing, observations, surveys, fluency measures, and writing apprehension scales.Data was collected over 18 weeks involving 17 eighth and ninth graders in two reading classrooms and their teacher. Students completed five-minute freewrites most every day for 18 weeks as part of their classroom warm-up.