Asserts that writing must have as honored a place in the first grade curriculum as reading. Discusses the need for computers in writing labs, word processing in first grade, cooperative learning, staff development, and holistic projects and assessment. Describes the implementation of these ideas in Los Altos, California. (PRA)

The commonest context for the use of word processors with primary school children is collaborative small group work. The two major reasons for this organizational decision are resource-based (i.e. due to the scarcity of computers in the classroom) and educational, stemming from an increased use of cooperative learning methods. In order to improve…