Instead of approaching writing form as a quality essential to the finished product, it may be useful to discuss it--at least initially in the writing process--as something that emerges during writing and that can be refined during the last editing stages of the process. (HOD)

The negative relationship between the structural rules usually taught in composition classes and writer's block is explored. Suggestions for helping a student with this writing problem are given. (HTH)

Argues that in teaching students to write as critics, educators need to ask them to change not how they think but how they work--to take on a new sort of intellectual practice. Shows how helping students become more aware of choices they make in revising their texts can help them gain control of using the work of others and gain a reflectiveness…

Investigates the types of processes used by journalistic writers when producing texts of varying constraints. Finds that news story writers paused more often and carried out more activities per writing session than did editorial writers, suggesting greater monitoring activity by news story writers. (MS)

Examined how information-processing load affects the writing process by having 40 undergraduates write a short essay up to a supplied ending sentence with increasing content constraints. Results found that a high information-processing load led to lower-rated story coherence, but not to lower- rated quality. (36 references) (MDM)

Discusses the role of metalinguistic awareness in multilinguals within the framework of a systems-theoretic approach to multilingual proficiency. Data from trilingual adults on their use of certain problem-solving behavior in think-aloud protocols during the academic writing process are shown to provide evidence of certain processes taking place…

Writing is a recursive and complex set of cognitive processes that can be taught effectively to students with disabilities. Employing an adapted cognitive theory of writing, a broad view of what constitutes evidence, and the support of a variety of assistive and internet-based technologies, we developed a writing instructional program to meet the…

Presenting highlights from the past decade of East Central Writing Centers Association conferences, this book addresses the questions of how writing conferences foster the development of writing ability and how teachers can give students control of their own writing and of the writing conference and thus promote higher-order thinking. By providing…

The time has come to re-evaluate the metaphors used when people think about composition. Such a re-evaluation is under way and may affect composition theory, research models, and classroom practice well into the future. Robert Zoellner rejected the prevailing metaphor for teaching writing which equates the act of thinking with the act of writing.…

The annotated titles in this bibliography are intended to introduce the novice to current or significant work on the application of cognitive psychology methodologies to the writing process. The bibliography is arranged in four sections: (1) an overview of the topic that includes anthologies, essays and papers; (2) relevant publications of Linda…

This paper argues for a dialectical conception of theory that avoids the problem of trying to yoke together theories that embody conflicting epistemological and idealogical concerns in any unified way. Called a "cognitive-social epistemic," this dialectic is a theoretical construct that subsumes a family of cognitive and social theories…

A study was conducted to test a model that conceives of long term memory as a propositional network of ideas made up of knowledge clusters and related subclusters. After two pilot studies suggested that recall order of ideas was unrelated to organization, the study investigated whether units of main and supporting ideas produced during…

A study investigated what fourth grade students understand about composing personal narrative discourse. Specifically, the study explored what the subjects understood about structuring personal narrative texts and about evaluating a narrated experience for an audience. Subjects were 13 fourth grade students, and the methodology consisted of…

The current focus on high level planning and abstract goals runs the risk of misrepresenting the contributions that cognitive psychology could make to the study of writing if it neglects important linguistic features that distinguish the writing of natural language from other problem solving tasks. An alternative perspective on writing emphasizes…

Intended for junior high and high school writing instructors, this booklet provides prewriting activities designed to help students master the thinking strategies essential to effective written communication. The first portion of the booklet discusses theory and research on the role of thinking strategies in writing and gives an overview of the…