Reflects on the interrelationship between expression and mechanics in writing instruction. (MM)

Noting that combining reading instruction with writing instruction is more effective than teaching writing alone, describes and evaluates various sequential activities and exercises to promote involved reading. Includes mapping, summarizing, synthesizing, and critiquing assigned readings, all of which lead to the research paper. (JG)

Noting that students in groups learn more effectively when working cooperatively than when working competitively or individualistically, presents guidelines, assignments, and class activities designed to foster cooperative learning. Describes such student-student interaction sessions as describing sense perception details, receiving peer feedback,…

Describes a course in which students were assigned to read magazine articles, label sections according to informative discourse types, mark cohesive ties and cue words, and pick out details. Reports that, by reviewing the articles, students gained an understanding of the "general audience" and of how to read their own writings more objectively.…

Distinguishes between using microcomputers for wordprocessing, drills, and repetitive tasks in mechanics and vocabulary and using them for alternative methods of presenting, reviewing, and testing course materials. Argues software for computer assisted writing instruction should address significant writing problems, approach writing from a true…

Presents an experimental primary trait rubric designed to assess a writer's support for an argument, and structured as an eleven-cell grid on which a rater can plot a student's score. Describes the grid, and its use in a study of 1,892 eleventh-grade essays. Also describes ways to use the grid to teach invention and arrangement. (JG)