This book presents 24 step-by-step exercises that help young writers strengthen their own unique talent and voice. It includes information on finding a writing style, finding other writers, trying various types of writing, getting feedback and support from friends as well as adults, preparing a manuscript for submission to a publisher, finding the…

The author suggests that the one page paper provides a means of student faculty communication that is as relevant as the student chooses to make it, convenient for the hard pressed professor, and rewarding to both as a teaching and learning device. (Author)

We examined the effects of in-class writing instruction, practice, peer review, and feedback on writing skills of undergraduates enrolled in a general psychology course. We rated writing for grammar, writing style, mechanics, and American Psychological Association referencing style. Significant differences emerged on the 4 writing skill domains (p…

Perhaps because of their familiarity with joke telling, students often do their best writing when using humor. In both telling jokes and creating humorous works, students need to develop a strong sense of audience, an awareness of the importance of vivid description, a strong sense of purpose, and the ability to use punctuation for effect. The…

Points out the value of responding to students' first drafts of papers, outlines a three-step approach for doing so, and gives five examples of such an approach. (JL)

Explores various prewriting techniques that can be used to teach thinking skills (e.g., keeping a metaphor journal to teach students to think and write metaphorically; free-writing and focused free-writing; and Plus, Minus, Interesting (PMI) and Alternative Ways of Looking (AWOL) techniques, which teach students to consider both sides of an…

Objects assembled in nonrepresentational fashion from tinker toy pieces are the starting point for a technical description writing assignment designed to increase the students' awareness of audience while at the same time giving them practice in description, analysis, and active judgment. Having been separated into two groups, each facing a…

The latest perceptions of writer-audience relationships have not been applied to what teachers actually do in the classroom. When the idea of audience is applied at all, it is often misapplied, resulting in classroom activities that fail to facilitate learning and many, in some cases, that force students to perform tasks so unreal that credibility…

The situational approach is one effective way of presenting students with technical writing assignments that represent "a close approximation of the writing chores which befall the gainfully employed technical writer in industry." The approach includes elements of both simulation and game playing, with some significant differences. The situational…

This article describes procedures for making effective use of the student journal in the secondary or college classroom, both as a way to improve students' writing skills and as a source of feedback to the teacher on classroom activities. (Author/SJL)

An experiment designed as a combined laboratory and classroom study was done with 12 male Norwegian third graders with dysgraphic problems. The remedial program was based on cybernetic principles and individualized. Results favored the experimental program but were only significant with regard to accuracy scores; speed writing exercises were not…

A five-stage process for faculty management of college research paper assignments is outlined. Students are instructed in gathering sources, organizing findings, and using standard format. Progress is closely monitored and specific feedback given. A study of student reaction to the technique found it well received and contributing to student…

This digest draws upon the thirteen published volumes of "Inside English" to offer a summary of practitioners' advice on techniques to improve two-year college students' writing skills. First, the paper summarizes underlying principles of writing instruction, indicating that: (1) usage, formal grammar, phonics, and spelling are best…

Investigates the effects of two types of written comments on student compositions and learning of course content. Supports the idea that content comments seem to help students write better essays. Suggests that writing reflectively and thoughtfully about a topic increases learning of that topic. (JK)

Parents, college students, and high-school students can enrich the work of communities of learners. Many high-school teachers enthusiastically host student teachers because they learn so much--such as how to incorporate diversity into lessons. Informal writing exercises can elicit helpful information from high-school students. (MLH)