In the authors' January 2010 "English Journal" article, "Helping Students Cross the Threshold: Implications from a University Writing Assessment," they showcase results of a large-scale writing assessment conducted at Central Michigan University, arguing that some of these results are especially relevant to English teachers…

Discusses writing assignments in response to literature that encourage adolescent female students to construct knowledge by allowing the self back into the process of knowing and in so doing to discover their own voices and a position of authority. Argues that through such authentic engagement with texts, young women can become more active,…

Describes how writing fiction helps students to write more effectively, think more critically, and enter difficult territory of complex issues. Illustrates how two students' stories led into discussions of meaning and values. (KEH)

Explores the interrelationship of learning, language and literature. Suggests assignments that allow students to respond like readers rather than like apprentice critics. Asserts that writing is not merely recording, and reading is not merely decoding. States that confusions about meaning and syntax disappear when writers read their own work…

Describes an activity called "Critical Analysis of Literature." Students read, think, debate, and write about controversial books, examining whether each novel should be included in the school curriculum. This teaches students to critically analyze information, develop an appreciation for literature, and develop a respect for thinking on their…

Shares the attempts of one teacher to structure a program that allows students to learn and grow as a community of readers and writers through the use of a response-centered curriculum. (MG)