Roessingh, HettyWojtalewicz, Brock James2016-05-102016-05-1020162016http://hdl.handle.net/11023/2995This study investigated the lexical resources that a sample of Grade 4 learners (n = 259) used to fulfill an expository writing task. Compositions were evaluated by two raters using an assessment rubric, given holistic ratings, and assigned to groups representing four standards of writing proficiency (limited, adequate, proficient, and excellent). Next, vocabulary profiles were generated for the compositions with online software. Indices of lexical diversity and sophistication were gleaned, including the number of tokens, types, word families, and advanced types used in each composition. ANOVA revealed substantial differences in these indices among the four groups. All lexical indices examined were found to be strong predictors of writing proficiency. Lastly, medium-sized correlations were found between holistic ratings of compositions and learners’ English Language Arts scores on the Grade 3 Provincial Achievement Test written one year earlier. Implications for language pedagogy and policy are discussed within the context of elementary education.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.Education--ElementaryEducation--Tests and Measurementsupper-elementaryVocabularyexpository writingAssessmentlexical proficiencyAn Investigation of Productive Vocabulary in Upper Elementary: Corpus-Based Lexical Analysis of Grade 4 Learners' Expository Writingmaster thesis10.11575/PRISM/24914