Children can become better communicators by expressing their thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Effective communication through speech or writing enables children to successfully convey their messages. When teaching writing to children, educators often look to writing traits--ideas, organization, word choice, voice, sentence fluency, conventions--to…

Writer's checklists are evidence-based procedural facilitators that prompt students to actively engage in the writing process. Students with diverse learning needs experience problems when composing texts because of the complex steps involved. To write effectively, students must focus on understanding prompts; setting goals; generating,…

The course will focus on the role of the editor in organizational settings, including creating successful writer/editor collaboration. Students will gain practice in editing documents for grammar, syntax, organization, style, emphasis, document design, graphics, and user-centered design. The course will provide an introduction to technology for…

ETC 408/508: Technical Editing is a cross-listed undergraduate and graduate course at Missouri Western State University, an open admissions public university with approximately 6,000 students. 508 is an elective course for students in the Master of Applied Arts in Written Communication degree and highly recommended for those in the Technical…

The 25 mini-lessons provided in this book are designed to develop students' self-regulated writing behaviors and enhance their self-perceived writing abilities. These foundational writing strategies are applicable and adaptable to all primary students: emergent, advanced, English Language Learners, and struggling writers. Following the SCAMPER…

Offers a model of the writing process that is based on a review of recent research and the author's experiences as a writer and teacher. Explains these stages in the writing process: (1) prewriting, (2) exploratory writing, (3) developmental writing, (4) external revision, and (5) "last looks." (RL)

Discusses a strategy that provides a structure for students to do what adults do naturally: determine the correct spelling of a word by rewriting it until it looks right. Notes that the technique can be incorporated into the classroom as a regular editing technique. (RS)

Describes games designed to reinforce Associated Press (AP) writing style and the verbal skills and thought processes used by editors. (HTH)

Recommends a 15-step cut-and-staple method that helps students improve their writing while learning to manipulate parts of their work in the revision stage of the writing process. Offers secondary suggestions in addition to the 15 steps. (RL)

Provides a journalism teacher's handout that summarizes the essentials of the "Associated Press Stylebook." (RL)

Presents a list of general qualities that might turn a good yearbook into a great one. Discusses photojournalism, visual elements, editing concerns, personalized coverage, and broad general concerns. (SR)

The deliberate rewriting of lecture notes into forms suitable for study and review is the key to successful learning. Using the outline technique helps students to think in terms of what the main points are and what are examples or secondary points. The divided page technique allows students to quiz themselves daily on the material they must…

Discusses the ways that the word "quality" can be used in English, as either a noun or an adjective. Outlines numerous ways the word is currently used. (HB)

Describes a first exercise in photojournalism and discusses how it can introduce students to such central issues as the rules of composition, the methods of editing, the ethics of dealing with subjects, and the role of the process in politics and culture. (SR)

Describes how the Prep Editor can be used to support online collaborative editing. Discusses and illustrates how the Prep Editor interface allows student teams to extract the claimed and unclaimed work of each member and how this information can support a team's further decision making. (RS)