The objectives of this study were (1) to analyze the linguistic structures and the linguistic deviations used by children in their written sentences, and (2) to compare the structures and deviations with the quality of the writing, as judged by three competent raters. Eighty fourth-grade and 80 sixth-grade children (8% black) from working-class…

This study (partially supported by an ESEA Title III Grant) of the written composition of 190 above-average children in grades 3-6 was carried out to determine whether those children who were taught selected concepts of invention, arrangement, and style over a period of 8 months would demonstrate significant improvement in composition or sentence…

The techniques of transformational grammar can be used effectively to identify and describe significant differences in the language competencies of children at several grade levels. The oral language responses of 150 elementary school children and 30 kindergartners (selected at random) to two silent, animated films of Aesop's "Fables" were…