Authentic learning experiences are those in which students engage with texts as well as the behaviors of reading and writing within contexts of real-world use beyond traditional academic use. This study provides quantitative analysis of how students (n = 200) engaged with an adult pen pal in a shared literacy experience. Findings indicate that…

Describes several writing activities in a writing program for fourth and fifth grade students using stimuli from the media. Notes that each theme was designed to increase students' ability to create original compositions from familiar material (such as advertisements and magazine photographs) using persuasive, narrative, or descriptive techniques.…

Examines the types of literacy support parents gave their children at home with 15 students from a diverse class of 23 third graders during an eight-week integrated unit on writing autobiographies. Finds pattern differences between genders with respect to the nature of support given at home. Suggests that particularly African-American males…

Describes a writing exercise--writing cliffhangers--that uses six class periods to engage students in the writing process and finishes by publishing a book of students' cliffhanger stories. (SR)