Given the focus of recent standards-based reforms, K-12 students are expected to engage in reading and writing activities across disciplines to strengthen their literacy skills in all content areas. These students are simultaneously called upon to develop understandings of the practices of science and engineering through their K-12 science…

Reading teachers focus more on the instruction of reading content or strategies, but pay relatively less attention to the impact of writing on reading comprehension. Based on mediation theory, the author examined the effect of summary writing about reading texts on readers' comprehension. By reviewing relevant literatures on the topic of…

The general aim of this study was to examine the relations among epistemological, reading and writing beliefs held by psychology undergraduates and the role played by these three types of belief in influencing the degree of perspectivism manifested in a written argumentation task based on reading two texts presenting conflicting perspectives on…

Describes Sustained Silent Reading and Writing (SSRW), in which students write nonstop for five minutes about that day's silent reading. Notes that students using this strategy begin to use metacognitive strategies to increase their comprehension and make evaluative comments on what they read. (RS)

Presents 18 writing stimulus ideas that are intended as jumping off points for student writing and are based on poems from "If I Were in Charge of the World (and other worries)" by Judith Viorst. Offers some general suggestions for using poems in the classroom. (SR)

Notes how important it is that any critical writing assignments should take into account the individual reading, and that the teacher's role is to steer discussion that stems from a class of individual readings. Explores some of the aspects of Jane Austen's novel "Emma" to which students readily respond. (HTH)

Describes how "Gulliver's Travels" was used with 11- and 12-year-olds to stimulate writing activities. (SRT)

Results on a multiple choice vocabulary test and a final essay writing activity suggest that teaching vocabulary as a writing prompt was more successful than more traditional forms. (RAE)

Provides numerous ideas for helping students write about special memories in the following categories: growing up--future dreams; authors and illustrators; family history; special places; and special memories. Describes how to write a "bio poem," and includes a bibliography of children's books that enhance and enrich student learning and…

Describes the kinds of difficulties experienced by less able writers and how content area teachers can help these writers produce better expository text. Provides writing activities that shift the writer's attention from language forms to language content. (SRT)

Describes "Plausible Stories," an activity which uses creative writing and story predictions to help teachers exploit the interactive nature of the processes of reading and writing. (MS)

Describes how elementary teachers can get good results using invented spelling in the classroom. The article presents the history of invented spelling and whole-language learning, then explains how to use core word lists, avoid sloppy drafts, conduct conferences, teach spelling effectively, and create a balance between writing and spelling. (SM)

Proposes incorporating a wide variety of texts from a variety of academic disciplines into the freshman writing course. Offers two sample text-based, process-oriented writing assignments. (HTH)

Describes the Teachers and Writers Collaborative at P.S 49 and the principal who keeps the writing program going. Discusses how the collaboration works and the teaching techniques used by the writing teachers in the school. (MG)

Discusses (1) the practice of giving examinations and how this contradicts current theory about the writing process, (2) how students spontaneously became involved in reading and writing activities, and (3) the implications of not teaching traditional grammar. (SRT)