Writing teachers are constantly confronted with the problem of forming effective responding strategies to help student writing improve. Even though the way writing is taught has shifted from a product- to a process-oriented approach, teachers' responding practices seem particularly resistant to modification. "Practitioner lore" suggests…

This pamphlet describes the Kentucky Statewide Writing Program, initiated in 1986 by then-Governor Martha Layne Collins and the Kentucky General Assembly to create student and teacher interest in learning to write and developing writing skills. Following an introduction to the program and background information, the pamphlet describes the four…

A 1991 survey questioned 61 teachers on the ways they were using collaborative learning to teach composition. Comparisons with a 1988 survey showed that the biggest increase was in the use of collaborative drafting strategies. Increases also occurred in focusing, prewriting, and editing, and there were slight decreases in revision and…

This study addresses two questions: how can computers be effectively employed in the composition classroom, and to what extent does instruction in writing complement the use of the word processor in developing writing skills? Thirty-eight current research studies on the effects of using word processing to teach composition are reviewed. The…

It does not take a computer expert to teach students how to use word processing software to prewrite, write, revise, and edit a professional-looking paper. Just a small amount of expertise allows students to work independently as long as they have access to a computer and the necessary software. The computer also facilitates interactive learning…

This report describes a computer-assisted writing laboratory project integrating Model Curriculum Standards (teacher-developed instructional literature guides integrating the reading of core pieces of literature with the writing process), the writing process, computer hardware and software, and staff development. The report estimates that in the…

Examines the influence of prior knowledge on the quality of fourth-grade students' responses to three process-approach tasks: writing, conferencing, and revising. Results suggest that prior knowledge is a significant factor in all phases of process-approach lessons. (NH)

Argues that the process approach to writing should not be stressed too heavily in business communication courses because the process may (1) be a luxury; (2) be an illusion; and (3) vary so much between writers that urging a set series of steps might accomplish little and make inefficient use of class time. (JD)

This paper aims to refute the idea that the best means of helping students learn to write is by "correcting" every error in their writing. The paper provides a guide to an alternative that works and that can relieve teachers of the burden of paper-grading. It hopes that the strategies outlined may make teaching composition "fun and exciting." The…

Teachers of second language writing classes are faced with the task of choosing writing methods that provide their students the greatest opportunity to gain writing skills, but there is a lack of research in this area. This topical bibliography and commentary reviews existing research on second language writing instruction. It concludes that free…

This book is intended to serve as a comprehensive guide for those English teachers and tutors, peer or professional, who face the challenge of one-on-one writing instruction. Written in a conversational style, the guide addresses the questions of "what" and "how" to tutor, and includes numerous illustrative excerpts from the…

This booklet is designed to assist schools or school systems in analyzing and evaluating student writing, writing instruction, and the writing program. The basic assumption is that improving the writing program needs to be a school-wide effort coordinated across K-12 grade levels, not an individual or isolated effort. After an overview and advice…

Despite writing teachers' best efforts, students still seem to regard the request to revise as intimating failure. Many researchers have noted students' lack of response to teacher comments, and much of this research has provided a corrective lens on vague or even aggressive teacher comments. Unpracticed writers replace the task of revising with…

Elementary teachers have a significant responsibility to foster children's abilities to read and write; today they are also encouraged to incorporate technology in their classrooms. This article reports results from an ethnographic study that examined the inquiry and process writing approaches a fourth-grade teacher used in a classroom where…

Offers a supplementary approach to teaching literacy narratives that builds on the work of M. Soliday and others but is centered in student production. Outlines specific strategies for teaching the literacy narrative in the first-year composition classroom. Discusses possible benefits of teaching the student production of literacy narratives.…