This study described the features of writing instruction in widely used kindergarten English Language Arts programs and examined their alignment with evidence-based, best-practice guidelines. Three popular curricula were selected for analyses: Reading Wonders, Journeys, and Reading Street. Our coding of teacher manuals focused on instructional…

In language arts programs in the Greater China Region, textbooks are the primary materials used to teach children to read and write. Learning to read and write in Chinese is particularly challenging because elementary grade students are expected to learn, recognize, and write thousands of characters (the basic linguistic unit in Chinese).…

This memorandum presents results from a scan of states' English language arts (ELA) standards for writing, with specific attention to references of cursive writing. This work was conducted by the Center on Standards and Assessment Implementation (CSAI). Using information posted on public web sites for each state and the District of Columbia, the…

This article examines the alternative English spelling practices of a student who is considered to be a "long-term English learner." It draws on a theoretical framework that integrates a social perspective on spelling with a rejection of idealized conceptions of bilingualism. The analyzed English spellings presented in this article were…

The objective of this exploratory investigation was to examine the nature of writing instruction in kindergarten classrooms and to describe student writing outcomes at the end of the school year. Participants for this study included 21 teachers and 238 kindergarten children from nine schools. Classroom teachers were videotaped once each in the…

This study examined whether discourse and topic knowledge separately predicted the overall quality and the inclusion of basic genre elements in 5th grade students' stories, persuasive papers, and informational text once the other type of knowledge as well as topic interest, spelling, handwriting fluency, length of text, and gender were controlled.…

In this collection of articles, the results of recent research in handwriting and spelling are reported and evaluated in the perspective of studies done over the past 50 years. The articles included are "Handwriting and Spelling: Their Current Status in the Language Arts Curriculum,""Handwriting Research" ("Movement and Quality" and "Style and…

In this collection of articles, the results of recent research in handwriting and spelling are reported and evaluated in the perspective of studies done over the past 50 years. The articles included are "Handwriting and Spelling: Their Current Status in the Language Arts Curriculum,""Handwriting Research" ("Movement and Quality" and "Style and…

This Tasmanian handbook for teachers describes a handwriting program that helps children develop a technique that enables them to easily produce a legible and fluent personal handwriting style. An initial overview of the program is followed by sections that focus on activities for development of handwriting skills, the process of planning the…

Questions the required use of over-sized pencils as writing implements in kindergarten. Evaluates eight writing samples written with eight tools of different sizes and shapes. Reports no noticeable differences in the conventionality (form) of the letters, in directionality, or in spelling. (KEH)

Seven junior high age TMR students were instructed to recognize sight vocabulary words using handwriting or typing activities. Typing speed increased at an accelerated rate and accuracy in copying words by typing was consistently superior to copying by handwriting: typing activities were as effective as handwriting activities in promoting sight…

Presents a summary of language arts research relative to early childhood education. (TO)

Samples of letters written by college students are excerpted to demonstrate the deterioration of students' writing skills. The relative unimportance many college students and graduates attach to writing letters of inquiry is emphasized. A checklist is provided to assist students in preparing letters requesting information from colleges and…

THE MAJOR PURPOSE OF TEACHING HANDWRITING IS TO PROVIDE CHILDREN WITH A MEANS OF EXPRESSING THEIR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS. THROUGH THE USE OF APPROPRIATE ACTIVITIES, STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE THE NECESSARY SKILLS TO ENABLE THEM TO WRITE EASILY AND LEGIBLY. THIS GUIDE HAS BEEN PREPARED TO AID IN DEVELOPING A SYSTEMATIC PROGRAM TO HELP…