Urges basic writing instructors to teach prewriting and rewriting as seriously as they teach writing. Decribes the implementation of this approach which forces students to proceed through all three stages of writing in a structured classroom setting for each composition assignment. Provides an example showing a students' writing improvement. (AYC)

Presents a procedure writing students can use, either singly or in groups, to exploit the general knowledge they have of common objects, artifacts, and institutions. Describes the use of a matrix to integrate knowledge about realms, or areas of interest, and concerns, or problems. (MM)

Intended for junior high and high school writing instructors, this booklet provides prewriting activities designed to help students master the thinking strategies essential to effective written communication. The first portion of the booklet discusses theory and research on the role of thinking strategies in writing and gives an overview of the…

Controversy and debate can be effectively employed as the central pre-writing activity in the composition classroom. The current model of prewriting in the composition classroom is the reflective model, which involves relatively private exploration of issues and ideas leading to paper topics. Although in the short run it is easier for both student…

Presents exercises designed to make argument and discussion easier by situating them in institutional events where argument could be expected to happen: the governmental commission, the school board meeting, the congressional hearing. Shows how these imaginary places allow for creating three role play situations for different college classes. (PA)

Describes an activity in which students write guided-imagery scripts that are related to works of literature. (MM)

Suggests that teachers attempt to have children write poetry that deals with the senses. Develops lessons to demonstrate to students their own potential for writing poetry. (MS)

Presents a theoretical model of the writing process and suggests having students create a picture collage as an introduction to the various roles and stages in the writing process. (HTH)

Describes a pre-writing dialogue prompt, a word association activity, and a writing assignment that draw upon students' memories of saying good-bye. (MM)

Suggests that students can improve the quality of their persuasive essays when the issue is first argued in the classroom. Discusses invention techniques and methods for students to conduct their own research surveys for support of their theses. (HTH)

The creative writing process, like any writing process, begins with a prewriting activity. Story starters are one such activity which teachers can use to begin the creative writing process with their students. For example, large cartoon-like characters made on an opaque projector can be used to initiate discussion. The second step requires a…

Describes a program where at-risk fifth-grade students were treated to a writing program that utilized prewriting activities to see if their written expression and writing anxiety would improve. Compares students' before and after papers utilizing their holistic scores on written expression. Demonstrates that student writing anxiety can be lowered…

Many communication majors expect to do little written communication, since skill in oral communication is more developed if not preferred. Before a student writes or becomes engaged in the rational and logical process of evaluating writing, he or she is in the stage of clearing the mind for action. A non-rationalistic approach to writing seeks to…

Intended for English teachers early in their careers and for teachers retraining to teach English, and applicable to English/language arts classrooms across all grade levels, this guide offers practices drawn from classroom experience and from writing project experience that implement a tenable, successful theory of learning to write. The…

Playwriting gives students focused experience with dialogue, which is useful in many kinds of writing, and provides an avenue for process-based writing instruction. The assignment of writing plays allows students to try out various personae without risking direct self-identification. Students write more for one another than for the teacher,…