A technique sometimes known as patterned prose or case book exposition is an effective way to improve student writing while also holding their interest. It may also help solve a problem pointed to by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP): students' inability to think about what they read. The technique is simple. The teacher…

Although not all the problems of writing are solved by practice in letter writing, a review of the classical texts on "ars dictaminis"--letter writing--creates a strong argument for its increased use as an exercise in college composition classrooms. By incorporating the lessons of dictamen as a device for achieving rhetorical…

A program of written composition based on reading comprehension can help students gain greater in-depth understanding of reading materials. Once the reading comprehension skill has been clearly defined for the class, the writing activity can provide clarification by allowing for analysis of the definition through written manipulation of language.…

The writing activities in this book are designed to help children build writing skills through the communication of their own ideas, discoveries, and feelings. Developed and field tested as part of a basic skill development project, the book presents a rationale for primary children's writing, outlines the fundamentals of teaching writing, and…

The principles used by Tim Gallwey in his books "The Inner Game of Tennis" and "Inner Tennis" can be applied to the teaching and learning of writing. The objective is to overcome mental obstacles which our conscious ego puts in the way of our creative self. Such obstacles as fear, lack of self-confidence, lack of concentration, trying too hard,…

This book contends that systematic oral and written exercises enable students to overcome many difficulties encountered in writing English. The first chapter is a general discussion of the teaching of composition today. The second section describes an experiment in oral composition drills in a seventh-grade class. The third section describes the…

A method for stimulating and facilitating organizational writing in the secondary school is described in this paper. Pictorial sequences are coordinated and arranged to typify the four major styles of writing: narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive. These sequences both portray a meaningful event in keeping with the writing style and…

Common approaches to composition teaching are satirized. (JH)

Students asked to write directions for assembling a tinkertoy structure learned valuable writing skills as well as critical ability. (JH)

Demonstrated effectiveness in eliciting growth in number of words per T-unit through the use of sentence-combining exercises in a college composition course and related frequency of embedding errors to data on length of T-unit. (DD)

Precise and effective writing can be taught and learned; a knowledge of grammar makes it easier both for the student and teacher. (Editor)

Describes the successful creative writing program at Northeastern Standard Evening High School (Pennsylvania). Suggests techniques useful to any creative writing instructor. (DC)

Explains how group journals can be used in literature classes to encourage students to respond to each others' ideas, by having students write entries on assigned or free-choice topics on odd-numbered pages, leaving even-numbered pages for other students' responses, disagreements, clarifications, and questions. Includes samples of student journal…

Describes an editing assignment in which senior engineering students use their knowledge of non-finite clauses (both restrictive and non-restrictive) to achieve concise mature writing. Explains the linguistic background provided to students before the assignment, gives details of the published "answer guide" and the exercise, and…

Presents a process-oriented method for teachers of stylistic editing workshops that allows them to (1) focus on individual students, (2) start with students basic repertory of responses and build from there, (3) work with freely emitted behavior, (4) ensure frequent and brief responses, and (5) achieve desired behavior through sequential steps.…