Reviews studies on the effects of introducing word processing to basic writers. Presents the findings of an original pilot study which concludes that computer instruction causes basic students to write more. Suggests ways of improving instruction and obtaining more consistent results in future studies. (HB)

Argues that, to deal effectively with sentence errors of basic writers, it is crucial to distinguish between what should be left alone and what can be productively marked and how it should be marked. Proposes a taxonomy of four sources of errors (knowledge, dialect, process, and developmental errors) and seven ways to address them. (SR)