Supporting Literacy and Social Connectedness in a Pandemic Through the “Autobiographical R/W/L/S” Method

The “Autobiographical R/W/L/S Method” was deployed by eight teacher candidates to develop literacy skills and socio-emotional learning (SEL) competencies in 4th-grade students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The R/W/L/S intervention was focused on autobiographical writing. Interactions took place in a HyFlex environment with the intervention delivered through the Microsoft Teams video conferencing platform. After the intervention, students shared more information about themselves than before, demonstrating improved autobiographical literacy skills. The heightened willingness to share is indicative of trust-building among participants and therefore suggestive of socio-emotional learning. Outcomes also suggest that enhanced autobiographical literacy is beneficial to children who may once have struggled to express their feelings by alleviating stress and providing pathways to camaraderie through the sharing of autobiographical stories. The use of digital communication technology is thought to be key in allowing for these positive outcomes to occur during an international pandemic.