In today's digitally interconnected world, one's ability to collaboratively create with others and compose multimodal texts is essential. Yet, high-stakes standardized assessments that value individualistic print centric conceptions influence instruction, leading schools to often undervalue the multimodal and collaborative composing processes and…

In order to meet writing objectives specified in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), many teachers need to make significant changes in how writing is taught. While CCSS identified what students need to master, it did not provide guidance on how teachers are to meet these writing benchmarks. The current article presents research-supported…

Many English language learners (ELLs) require extra support to become successful writers. This book helps teachers understand the unique needs of ELLs and promote their achievement by adapting the effective instructional methods they already know. Engaging and accessible, the book features standards-based lesson planning ideas, examples of student…

Offers a fanciful dialog between Socrates and his followers to present findings about spelling development. Discusses the work of two scholars (Frank Smith and Steven Krashen); then discusses various hypotheses. Concludes that effective spellers get to be that way because they read as if they were writers; and a strong relationship exists between…

With regard to the preceding articles in this issue, Joseph F. Dominic identifies key ideas of the research on writing, Susan Florio-Ruane points out similarities and differences among the articles, and Nancy L. Stein discusses methodological and conceptual issues in writing research. (RH)

Groups responses of writing scholars to a question concerning what has been learned about the teaching and learning of writing in the elementary school into four categories: writing is a "gateway" to literacy; all children can write; understanding writers and writing means understanding complex influences; and writers write so that they…

Using the concept of the "constructed child" to reflect on "the child writer," this paper addresses the ways in which educators make sense of what the child does when he or she writes in school. The paper draws upon experiences with 5- to 10-year-old children in a recent study of child writers, especially 8-year-old Ayesha. It…

This report (a continuation of the Indiana University vocabulary study) identifies words children frequently misspell and analyzes the representative spelling patterns at different grade levels. The report is in three sections and addresses seven questions. Section 1 reports on the analysis of the high frequency words across grades, asking: (1)…

To determine the words that children misspell as they write and then to analyze those words as they represent different spelling patterns at different grade levels, for different proficiencies of writing, and in the context of the essay in which the misspelling occurred, this study examined writing samples from across the country. The study was…

The contributions made by Donald Graves to research on written composition are examined. Particular attention is given to his case studies of the writing processes of young children. The results of these studies and their implications for instruction are analyzed and discussed. (Author/FL)

Rather than prescribe activities, teachers should approach the development of literacy programs from a functional point of view, allowing students to achieve purposes relevant to their situation. Research leading to this view is summarized. (MT)

Studies use of cohesion in written stories of normally developing and language-learning disabled elementary children using Cohesive Harmony Analysis. Finds the proportion of words in chains (cohesive density) and chain interaction (cohesive harmony) was consistent across the elementary years. States that children with language-learning…

Notes that most studies of teacher-student interactive writing have examined only what the students do, ignoring issues of power, status, and experience in such situations. Examines one teacher-student exchange of messages, focusing on what strategies made the adult writer effective. Argues that the teacher used his experience but not his power.…

Uses de Beaugrande's concept analysis system to describe how 20 third graders employed narrative concepts at the local and global levels in written stories, and to assess the coherence of those stories. (SR)

Concludes that handwriting instruction improves writing ability because students who have mastered the basic skills of handwriting are able to concentrate on the process of composition rather than transcription. (SRT)