A study was conducted with the following objectives: (1) to determine if sentence-combining practice would prove to be an efficient way of promoting statistically significant syntactic development in the writing of third quarter college students of French, German, and Spanish; (2) to apply the methodology for analysis of writing samples to…

The first of a two-part discussion of an experimental program involving small group teaching in a mixed-ability secondary English class in Scotland, this report outlines the class organization and management techniques used during the program. It also contains an account of the culminating class activity, a group novel-writing project. Six…

The second of a two-part discussion of an experimental program involving small group teaching in a mixed-ability secondary English class in Scotland, this report extends and investigates more deeply some of the problems not dealt with in the first part of the report. Specifically, it analyzes the modes of assessment possible in this form of class…

Teaching techniques and the use of grammar checking programs are described. Assignments using these programs are suggested. Four specific packages are reviewed. The importance of the revision process in writing is stressed. (CW)

Maintains that using both formal and informal writing assignments is an effective method for learning social studies content. Discusses positive outcomes of writing such as acquiring tools for independent learning, identifying bias, and enhancing thinking skills. Provides suggestions for writing assignments and evaluation. (CFR)

This book provides a comprehensive guide for parents who want to help their children develop an important skill, writing, in a fun and creative way. The book shares with parents successful classroom and workshop teaching methods. It also provides guideline for home schooling parents. The book helps children become less intimidated by the English…

The implicit assumption behind personal writing assignments given at the beginning of a writing course is that personal essays eliminate the writing apprehension of having nothing to say. However, college freshmen find it very difficult to write about themselves and their own opinions because this writing involves abstract mental processes and…

Contributed by English teachers across the United States, the activities contained in this booklet are intended to promote the effective teaching of English and the language arts. Teaching strategies offered in the first section of the booklet are designed to stimulate language exploration and include activities where students improvise dialogue…

A successful expository writing program (1) should develop basic writing ability and fluency, (2) should convey to students that they are informants in a communicative context that includes writers and readers, and (3) should foster student control of the writing process including thinking and organizational strategies (such as planning,…

Because junior high school literature anthologies contain few expository offerings and English texts seldom involve students in critical reading as background for writing, it is up to the teacher to fill the gap. One approach for providing students with critical reading practice is the cloze procedure, which (1) encourages close reading and…

Lack of motivation to complete writing tasks leaves students unable to perform according to grade level expectations or to demonstrate mastery of school district objectives. To address this problem, a practicum involved 30 fifth grade students in a 36-week writing program using the process writing method. The goals of the practicum were as…

A writing instructor at a California University, assigned to teach expository writing in a science course, restructured the course before the third paper assignment to allow students to write, to discover, and explore ideas about science, rather than simply to learn standards of rhetoric or scientific writing. This assignment required students to…

To prevent children with reading difficulties from thinking of themselves as failures, academic experiences must include projects that will motivate them to be responsible learners, enhance their self-concept, and reinforce all the language arts skills. One class of sixth grade students with reading disabilities made minibooks from greeting cards…

Contributed by English teachers across the United States, the activities contained in this booklet are intended to promote the effective teaching of English and the language arts. Teaching strategies offered in the first section of the booklet are designed to stimulate language exploration by helping students learn to tell stories from pictures,…

Designed for secondary school English teachers who want to help their students develop enthusiasm for words, their histories, and the way language structures words to produce meaning, this paper offers suggestions for a program of study employing dictionary projects and personal experience. The paper describes making a class dictionary of teen…