Three studies examined the effectiveness of teaching an unfamiliar prose form using prose modeling (duplicating defining characteristics of a model text using different content). First, English department instructors at four universities were surveyed and of the 70 who responded, 76% stated that they did use modeling in their classrooms. In the…

A study investigated the effects of four writing strategies on fifth graders' idea production across three aims of discourse (informative, expressive, and persuasive) and the effect of gender. The four strategies tested were clustering, drawing, freewriting, and thinking. More than 100 children from varied socioeconomic backgrounds and ethnic…

Examines interactive writing, an innovative approach to early writing instruction. Documents the concepts about print and writing strategies that a Title I reading teacher taught her first grade students across the school year. Indicates that interactive writing provides many opportunities to teach critical and fundamental literacy concepts.…

Finds that high school students (grade 10) who were exposed to the Multiple Exposure Vocabulary Method in combination with the Target Reading/Writing Strategy received a significantly better verbal score on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test than students who received more traditional instruction. (SR)

Investigates the effectiveness of an integrated communication arts approach (emphasizing writing) on sixth graders' comprehension of a world history topic. Finds that students who completed writing tasks after brainstorming generated significantly higher quality ideas and improved their writing ability more than students who completed short-answer…

Children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk of academic difficulties and special education placement (Barkley, 1998). One academic area, written expression, has received little research attention. This study assessed the effectiveness of a validated strategy instruction model--Self-Regulated Strategy…

A qualitative pilot study investigated the influence of nonfiction learning activities upon the level of student engagement, writing growth, and the quantity of students' nonfiction compositions. The participants were 19 third-grade students and 19 fourth-grade students, plus the 2 teachers of the respective classes. Nonfiction writing instruction…

A study examined and described a program to improve writing skills and related attitudes of elementary school students. Targeted population consisted of second- and fifth-grade students in a stable, middle class suburban community, located 20 miles southwest of Chicago, Illinois. The problems of underdeveloped writing skills and lack of student…

Examines the effectiveness of imbedding strategy instruction in the context of a process approach to writing. Finds that the strategy instructional procedures had a positive effect on the fourth- and fifth-grade students' writing, for both students with and without a learning disability. Shows that, overall, improvements in story quality were…

This study described how a fifth grade reading and writing class utilized short stories to comprehend how authors used eight different writing techniques in their own writing. The researcher found that when the fifth grade students comprehended how to use a writing technique they were able to apply it to their own personal, expressive writing. The…

Describes how a group of third graders had an opportunity to write fairy tales using process writing techniques to assist them in overcoming their anxiety and dislike for writing. Indicates that writing strategies introduced through focused mini-lessons and feedback that valued children's writing choices were critical for the positive influences…

Students have to learn two distinctly different tasks when writing research papers: a) creating and organizing prose, and b) formatting a manuscript according to the nuances and mechanics of a pre-determined format, such as Modern Language Association (MLA) or American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines. Two studies examined different…

This project was implemented and developed to assist low-achieving tenth grade students' essay writing skills. According to examinations administered during the first part of the 2002 school term, many tenth-grade students were not performing on their grade level in regards to the writing process. The overall goal was to have students be able to…

This edition of "NAEPfacts" discusses the frequency with which process-oriented activities are taught in United States schools, and the writing performance of students whose teachers emphasize these activities. Data were drawn from the 1992 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Writing, which was administered to a…

An instructional study examined whether teaching strategies related to planning and reviewing behaviors would affect planning, reviewing, revising, and producing texts. Training texts were examined using a multiple baseline across participants design with multiple probes in baseline. During baseline and in intervention phases, two highly capable…