If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many words is a whole picture book worth? This was exactly the question Pierce School teachers asked themselves when they began the project of compiling a photo library for creating realistic and relevant short texts by and for students across all grades in their K-8 elementary school. In an effort to…

Describes techniques used in a 9-week unit in creative writing for elementary school children. Emphasizes the importance of learning that thinking, reading, and writing are facets of the same processes. Lists readings and books to read aloud and imitate. (DMM)

Describes the development of a workshop that provides a rich writing program while meeting state-mandated test requirements. Based on a whole language approach, the writing workshop emphasizes five stages of the writing process (pre- writing, rough draft writing, peer editing, teacher editing, and publishing). The program merges writing processes…

Describes the use of think-aloud protocols to reflect writing processes and to examine the dynamics of group writing conferences in a writing group consisting of five undergraduate, preservice elementary teachers and their professor. (SR)

Suggests methods of using literature to help students select and develop topics, write drafts, confer about their writing, revise, edit, and publish their work. Concludes that students can learn a great deal about writing processes through reading and discussing children's literature. (RAE/JAD)

Describes the process of writing the picture book "Encounter," which tells of the fateful first meeting of Christopher Columbus and the Native Americans from the point of view of a boy raised in the Tanio culture. (RS)

Profiles two children's authors, Marion Dane Bauer and Katherine Paterson, examining the social interactions that have influenced their writing. Looks at the social context of their lives as influences on their writing, including family, friends and acquaintances, literature, research for a novel, editors, the marketplace, and readers. Suggests…

Students may copy words while being incapable of communicating through writing, a deficiency which may be identified using three techniques for analyzing generative writing samples: (1) interpretation of cluster errors, (2) differentiation of linguistic disability from symptomatic frustration, and (3) use of word restoration exercises. Samples of…

Describes a simple writing process to help students become more effective writers in which students, by writing one sentence at a time on a single strip of paper, learn how to write a paragraph. (SR)

Discusses the reasons for publishing the picture book "Encounters," which tells of the fateful first meeting of Christopher Columbus and the Native Americans from the point of view of a boy raised in the Tanio culture. (RS)

Looks at the importance of valuing children's play for its contributions to writing skills. Shares the insights a teacher derives from observing children in situations where they seem to be "only playing." Reminds readers of the crucial connection between assessment and teaching that should be maintained. (MG)

Describes the evolution of the author's children's picture book, "An Amish Christmas." Notes how he refers to "Christmas in Noisy Village" (1964) by Astrid Lindgren, a praised children's Christmas book. Describes how he used Lindgren's economical use of words and book format as a guide. (SG)

A New Jersey school district decided that, if students were to become good writers, they need a reason to want to write everyday. Reasons developed by teachers included: (1) writing to pen pals; (2) preparing booklets on class activities and interests; (3) developing a newspaper and dictionary; and (4) writing their own books of poetry, short…

This fourth article in a series on the writing process describes one child's writing process and draws implications for teaching first grade writing. (DD)

Describes the outcome of an innovative mentoring program that paired technology faculty and methods faculty in order to form partnerships to facilitate the modeling of technology for preservice teachers. Discusses the creation of useful applications for enhancing poetry writing through technology for elementary school students. (SG)