Reports an investigation to assess praiseworthy grading versus traditional grading. With praiseworthy grading, finds improvement in the quality of student writing, and argues that teachers give balanced and focused commentary on the strengths and weaknesses in students' writing. (JAD)

Describes the writing processes involved in composing and revising a poem that was eventually published. (FL)

Discusses a study of writing revision in which all the writing done in two sections of a writing course was collected and draft-to-draft revisions were studied. Suggests that revision depends as much on acquisition of topical knowledge as on level of cognitive development. (SR)

Analyzes shortcomings of conference papers intended for the eye rather than the ear. Referring to classical oratory, speech act theory, and cognitive theory, recommends revising papers for oral presentation by using classical disposition; deductive rather than inductive argument; formulaic repetition of words and phrases; non-inverted clause…

Distinguishes between monitoring and evaluating student writing, discusses the rationale for monitoring, demonstrates monitoring procedures, and summarizes major considerations to remember when monitoring writing. (JAD)

Presents an exchange of letters between the author of an article submitted to this journal (and eventually published in this issue), the journal editor, and two reviewers, intended to demystify the reviewing process. (SR)

Offers a means for writers to analyze their own texts through the construction and use of a tool--called a reader's outline--that students build from their rough drafts. Notes that the reader's outline facilitates more effective detection and diagnosis of problems and helps point the way to solutions. (SR)

Applies H. P. Grice's theory of conversation (the Cooperative Principle, and the Maxims of Quality, Quantity, Relation and Manner) to a method of teaching revision. Explains that viewing writing as a cooperative transaction improves students' sense of audience, purpose, and diction. Analyzes a student draft via this method. (JG)

Arguing that writing teachers can neither ignore the teaching of grammar nor expect it to succeed if taught in the traditional way, examines the methods, organization, exercises and terminology of the freshman English handbook, identifies problems, and suggests alternatives to helping students satisfactorily edit their papers. (JG)

Describes several encounters with a student which led a composition instructor to conclude that she had been favoring analysis of completed works over self-analysis (in the form of a writing log kept during drafting and revising) of an essay in progress. Suggests that teachers continue to hone their response skills. (RS)

Relates how a microcomputer with word processing capabilities can facilitate and enrich a student's writing. (HOD)

Evaluates the efficacy of heuristics in the composition classroom, the importance of theory in teaching invention, the application of heuristics to stages of writing besides prewriting, and various heuristic systems. Describes the development of a theory of invention and pedagogy based on classroom experiment and the writings of other theorists.…

Proposes a pedagogy of struggle--a pedagogy which foregrounds the active role students can play in both their education and in the formation of oppositional discourse within the academy. Discusses samples from papers written by a student to explore how educators might enact such a pedagogy when teaching revision. (RS)

Examines elements in the early stages of the process of writing criticism. Suggests that the key to criticism is connections made in context, and that criticism of film or theater is first a reading act, and then a writing act. (MS)

Describes an approach to writing evaluation in which the teacher asks the student to write a student-teacher memo--a brief, informal not-to-be-graded communication--that explains the student's intention in responding to the writing assignment. (HOD)