When being a student in grade school as well as in high school (1934-1946), grammar was heavily emphasized in English/language arts classes, particularly in grades four through the senior year in high school. Evidently, teachers and school administrators then saw a theoretical way to assist pupils in writing achievement. Grammar and writing were…

Journal writing gives students opportunities to practice writing in a way relevant to their experiences and not merely as an exercise in writing for writing's sake. There are many opportunities for a student to write about subject matter learned from ongoing lessons, as examples from the journal of a sixth grader illustrate. Listening to current…

Notes that handwriting achievement can be assessed in degrees from being legible to being illegible. Suggests that a rubric, carefully developed and designed, may well be used to ascertain the quality of handwriting achievement. Gives a brief history of handwriting instruction. Presents 10 points for teachers to follow when teaching handwriting.…

Writing must receive major emphasis in teaching-learning situations. There are important differences between creative endeavors and those that involve role learning and exact answers. Creativity emphasizes the novel, the unique, the original, and the open-ended. Creativity should stress writing across the curriculum, and should involve reading and…

Stressing the importance of instructional objectives, this discussion explores the relationship of handwriting to child characteristics and societal expectations. The nature of writing is described, and questions are specified for teachers to consider before determining educational objectives pertaining to handwriting. Guidelines for initial…

Writing is a fundamental skill for students to develop. A learning environment should be in evidence which assists students to achieve more optimally in writing. Writing activities should be interesting, purposeful, meaningful, and provide for individual differences. Students need stimulating learning opportunities involving a variety of purposes…

The traditional spelling curriculum emphasized that pupils learn to spell a specific set of words through memorization. However, major problems existed pertaining to using that method of teaching. Pupils soon forgot the correct spelling of memorized words. Educational psychologists have long advocated that pupils perceive knowledge as being…

Describes how some student teachers and cooperating teachers guided pupils in learning phonics through a study of rhyming poetry. Discusses class activities involved in teaching couplets, triplets, imagery in poetry, quatrains, alliteration, limericks, and onomatopoeia, and the rhyme and phonics elements involved. (SR)

Describes a learning environment that enhances student achievement in written communication as one that develops and maintains student interest; enables students to perceive a purpose for and attach meaning to their writing; and provides precise objectives for students to attain. (NH)

Pupils need to experience a rich language arts curriculum. Each learner must have feelings of self-worth and acceptance of others in the classroom setting. Educational psychologists have long recommended that learners perceive that content acquired is integrated. English teachers have debated the merits of teaching isolated learnings in the…

Clarity of written expression is prized highly in the university curriculum and in the societal arena. Professors need to study, analyze, and appraise diverse recommended philosophies in teaching writing. An existentialist writing curriculum should: include extensive input from students on topics, forms of writing to be emphasized, and planning of…

This paper outlines ways other than drills that students can practice reading methods. Flash cards, software programs, essay projects, and synonym hunts are examples of enjoyable ways for students to practice. In a more formal method of introducing words, a teacher writes words on the board and discusses them before assigning a story with the new…

Pointing out that teachers and supervisors need to study, analyze, and synthesize diverse issues in the teaching of handwriting, this paper explores several relevant issues. The following issues are discussed: (1) whether handwriting ought to be taught as a separate subject; (2) the conflict between the behaviorism approach--which utilizes precise…

Diverse philosophies are in evidence in teaching writing. Approaches used in teaching writing should assist students to achieve optimally as well as provide for individual differences, help them attain meaning and understanding of subject matter written, develop students' interest in communicating written content, establish purpose and reasons for…

There are many kinds of writing activities for pupils. Pupils need to develop proficiency for a variety of types of writing, such as creative writing and poetry, writing in journals, writing about personal experiences, writing an outline, writing an opinion, writing on how something should be done, writing and problem solving, writing to inform,…