Four Square Writing Method

The Four Square Writing Method is a way for teaching writing to children in school. While primarily used to teach persuasive writing, it has also been used to help teach deconstruction.[1] The method was developed by Judith S. Gould [2] and Evan Jay Gould.[3]

It was developed initially for primary school students, but it has also been used in high school classes.

Method
A colour-coded example of a Four Square Writing Method layout.

The method is primarily a visual framework for assisting students with formulating ideas in an organized manner prior to writing an essay.

The concept generally works as follows:

  1. A large square is drawn and divided into four smaller squares of equal size. An additional rectangle is drawn in the center of the figure overlapping each of the other four squares. A total of five rectangles are thus created.
  2. The student writes a complete topic sentence in the center rectangle.
  3. Then, the student writes three sentences that develop the thesis of the central topic, placing one in each of the following squares: upper-left, upper-right, and lower-left. The upper-left square contains the opening supportive sentence, and the next two squares contain other supporting information.
  4. Finally, the student writes a summary sentence in the lower-right square. The summary sentence describes how the reader is intended to feel about the topic.

Variations of the above rules may require more or less development in each of the rectangles, depending on the grade-level or maturity of the student.

Results

Results show a consistent increase in the ability of students to write persuasively. A study at Springview Elementary School, in Allendale Charter Township, Michigan, noted, "significant growth was observed in the students' writings in both classes."[4]

Another study, carried out at American Senior High School in Miami-Dade County, Florida with older students, showed an increase in FCAT scores, though not as marked as the Michigan grade school students. It was noted that one teacher had remarkably more success with the program than others, and that teachers must be trained thoroughly to get best results from this method.[5]

Kingsley Elementary School in Kingsport, Tennessee also tested the Four Square Writing Method. After teaching students using the method, the students' writing scores increased by 49 percentage points in the first year. The same students used it again the next year, and their scores went up an additional nine percentage points.[6]

Four Square Series

In 1999, Judith S. Gould and Evan Jay Gould wrote the first book in a series dedicated to the Four Square Writing Method.[7] This series is published by the Teaching & Learning Company, a Lorenz Educational Press company. As of February 2014, the series includes 16 books, 2 poster papers, and a set of wall charts.

TitleAuthor(s)ISBNRelease Date
Four Square: Writing Method for Grades 1-3Judith S. Gould and Evan Jay Gould97815731018821999
Four Square: Writing Method for Grades 4-6Judith S. Gould and Evan Jay Gould97815731018991999
Four Square: Writing Method for Grades 7-9Judith S. Gould and Evan Jay Gould97815731019051999
Four Square: The Total Writing Classroom for Grades 1-4Judith S. Gould and Evan Jay Gould97815731033362002
Four Square: The Total Writing Classroom for Grades 5-9Judith S. Gould and Evan Jay Gould97815731033432002
My Four Square Writing Poster Paper: Grades 1-3Judith S. Gould and Evan Jay Gould97815731041592003
My Four Square Writing Poster Paper: Grades 4-6Sydney Mainor and Evan Jay Gould97815731041662003
Four Square: Writing in the Content Areas for Grades 1-4Judith S. Gould and Evan Jay Gould97815731042102004
Four Square: Writing in the Content Areas for Grades 5-9Judith S. Gould and Evan Jay Gould97815731042272004
Four Square: Writing Method Wall ChartsJudith S. Gould and Evan Jay Gould97815731043262004
Four Square: The Personal Writing Coach for Grades 1-3Judith S. Gould and Mary F. Burke97815731044632005
Four Square: The Personal Writing Coach for Grades 4-6Judith S. Gould and Mary F. Burke97815731044702005
Four Square: The Personal Writing Coach for Grades 7-9Judith S. Gould and Mary F. Burke97815731044872005
Four Square for Writing Assessment: Elementary LevelJudith S. Gould and Mary F. Burke97814291181942010
Four Square for Writing Assessment: Secondary LevelJudith S. Gould and Mary F. Burke97814291182002010
Four Square: Writing Method for Early LearnersJudith S. Gould and Mary F. Burke97814291174012010
Four Square: Writing Method for Grades 1-3 with Enhanced CDJudith S. Gould, Evan Jay Gould, and Mary F. Burke97814291174182010
Four Square: Writing Method for Grades 4-6 with Enhanced CDJudith S. Gould, Evan Jay Gould, and Mary F. Burke97814291174252010
Four Square: Writing Method for Grades 7-9 with Enhanced CDJudith S. Gould, Evan Jay Gould, and Mary F. Burke97814291174322010

References
  1. "Using the Four-Square Strategy to Define and Identify Poetic Terms".
  2. "Judith Gould -Featured SDE Presenter". Archived from the original on 2009-02-02. Retrieved 2009-02-24.
  3. Judith S. Gould; Evan Jay Gould (1999). Four Square: Writing Method for Grades 4-6; A Unique Approach to Teaching Basic Writing Skills. Dayton: Teaching & Learning Company. ISBN 9781573101899.
  4. Luban, Gwen; Lutke, Linda; Powell, Karl; Wilson, Jill. "The Importance of a Four Square Writing Organizer to Writing Improvement" (PDF). Springview Elementary School, Allendale Public Schools. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-20. Retrieved 2014-02-03. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  5. Superintendent’s Urban Principal Initiative. "Improving Persuasive Writing Through the Use of the Four Square Writing Method". American Senior High School. Archived from the original (PPT) on 2010-07-13. Retrieved 2009-02-24. (P)re/post test results, American Senior High persuasive writing scores improved overall Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. Chircop, Jeanne. "Student Achievement Soars with Use of Quality Strategies" (PDF). American Society for Quality. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  7. Judith S. Gould; Evan Jay Gould (1999). Four Square: Writing Method for Grades 1-3; A Unique Approach to Teaching Basic Writing Skills. Teaching & Learning Company. ISBN 9781573101882.
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