________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| Percent of students reporting the
Statements about writing | statement is true more than
| half the time, by grade level
|___________________________________________________________
| Grade 4 | Grade 8 | Grade 11
|___________________|___________________|___________________
|1984|1990|1992|1994|1984|1990|1992|1994|1984|1990|1992|1994
____________________________________________|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13
____________________________________________|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____
Writing helps me think more clearly ........|--- |--- |--- |--- | 44 | 46 | 42 | 42 | 52 | 47 | 50 | 54
Writing helps me tell others what I think ..|--- |--- |--- |--- | 52 | 56 | 52 | 54 | 55 | 58 | 57 | 58
Writing helps tell others how I feel .......|--- |--- |--- |--- | 50 | 56 | 52 | 52 | 55 | 60 | 60 | 60
Writing helps me understand my own feelings |--- |--- |--- |--- | 40 | 47 | 44 | 45 | 47 | 50 | 49 | 54
People who write well have a better chance | | | | | | | | | | | |
of getting good jobs .....................|--- |--- |--- |--- | 47 | 53 | 51 | 51 | 54 | 58 | 59 | 58
| | | | | | | | | | | |
People who write well are more influential .|--- |--- |--- |--- | 49 | 55 | 52 | 51 | 54 | 60 | 60 | 57
I like to write ............................| 56 | 57 | 54 | 56 | 39 | 42 | 43 | 42 | 40 | 39 | 43 | 42
I am a good writer .........................| 60 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 42 | 44 | 44 | 49 | 39 | 44 | 49 | 46
People like what I write ...................| 53 | 56 | 55 | 58 | 38 | 39 | 44 | 44 | 36 | 42 | 46 | 44
I write on my own outside of school ........| 48 | 42 | 46 | 45 | 36 | 35 | 37 | 36 | 31 | 28 | 33 | 32
| | | | | | | | | | | |
I don't like to write things that will | | | | | | | | | | | |
be graded ........................ | 38 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 33
If I didn't have to write for school, | | | | | | | | | | | |
I wouldn't write anything ................| 33 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17
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