Describes a longitudinal study of first-grade students' progress in learning punctuation. Examines the classroom as a writing environment, then presents a picture of the children's progress in learning to use apostrophes, quotation marks, and periods, drawing several implications for teaching. (HTH)

Presents a study of the process and the product in the early writing attempts of two children. Examines some of the strategies they use during the intermediate or invented spelling stage. (HTH)

A longitudinal study examined the development over the primary school years of the writing skills of children from the time they entered first grade until they completed grade three. In order to identify the nature of the literacy-related home experience of these children, interviews were conducted with each child (three classes in all) as he or…

A study was conducted to examine writing development in first grade children. The writings from an entire classroom were collected. From these, six children's writings were chosen for cross-sectional analysis. Two children from this group were then selected for further in-depth case studies. Interviews, parent surveys, and observations were used…

A study examined the hypothesis that if young children are immersed in a social and psychological setting appropriate for language learning they can learn to write simply by writing. Placed in a supportive classroom environment, 24 first grade students were expected to communicate in writing in any way they could from their first day at school.…