This study explored the letter-writing practices of incarcerated adult students at a facility within the Los Angeles County jail system. The study sought to understand the role that letter writing plays in the lives of these individuals, their unique composition processes and products, their beliefs about themselves and their skills as writers,…

Responds to a number of letters from readers of this column. (RS)

Contains 10 points of advice for those who want letters of recommendation from teachers. (JD)

A brief look at teaching students how to write letters and at using letters as instructional tools in the junior high and high school English classroom. (RL)

Notes that by exploring Depression-era teens' letter writing, language arts teachers can enjoy more fruitful uses of nonfiction with their students. Discusses how reading, analyzing, and responding to the letters could help minimize the widening gap between the 1930s and the twenty-first century. Concludes that researching everyday Americans'…

Explores the methodology of using more traditional types of business letter examples plus an unusual source, "The Lazlo Letters" (a compilation of letters written by comedian and comedy writer Don Novello), in a business writing class. (HOD)

The school letter has a unique focus and tone. It differs from recommendation letters written by teachers, coaches, or employers because it represents the consensus of the school community, not of the writer alone. It is written by the counselor, but it is not the counselor's letter. (Author)

Encourages English teachers to promote letter writing among their students. (DD)

Discusses the historical significance of letters to the editor. Suggests guidelines to teach students the skill of writing letters to the editor as a constructive method of sharing views. Asserts that this kind of letter writing encourages participation in the democratic process. (MS)

Offers suggestions for writing effective letters of recommendation for students. Suggests asking students what they are applying for, what their chances are, what personal information makes them unique, and what they would say about themselves. (JOW)

Presents two approaches to de-mystify the research process: (1) students assume the persona of a famous author and write letters to each other; and (2) students establish a research and development division for school staff, which allows students to screen proposals, prioritize suggestions, develop research and report strategies, and complete…

Examines the epistolary in "Sloppy Firsts" and "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." Suggests that the epistolary form is a near perfect fit with adolescent literature, particularly in these two novels. Notes how the characters both use letters to engage in a process of honest self-reflection, a process in which the adolescents who read these novels…

In many communities, Halloween has become an excuse for young people to commit acts of violence and vandalism. One New York middle-school principal sent a post-Halloween letter to parents detailing the weaponry confiscated by police and terming the holiday a pointless social exercise. The letter helped parents reassert their limit-setting…

This simulation is intended for use as a culminating activity after students have been exposed to personal and/or business letter writing, use of reference manuals, typing of letters, mailing procedures, typing of numbers, punctuation practice, and filing procedures. Stated objectives are to enable students to type a mailable letter; to inspect,…

Describes a writing project for which students corresponded with students at other schools about their responses to literature. Focuses on how the teachers became their own researchers and learned through collaboration with other teachers. (SRT)