The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) evaluated the writing ability of American students in 1974, 1979, and 1984. Data from 95,000 students were examined for trends over this 10-year period. Writing tasks, including informative, persuasive, and literary or imaginative writing were administered to national samples of students aged…

This paper proposes four scenarios to guide future research investments by the federal Office of Special Education Programs in classroom uses of instructional technology for learners with disabilities. Sets of research and development activities to promote effective use of technology are proposed for: (1) reading instruction; (2) writing…

A study investigated the writing of incipient bilinguals (students who were in the initial process of acquiring a second language). A total of four Latino children were chosen for final, in-depth study over a 2 year-period at three middle schools in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. Data included initial interviews and observations,…

Articles in this yearbook cover a variety of topics in the field of language arts instruction, such as applying recent metacognition theory in reading instruction; using of journals, videotapes, and humor in the classroom; training reading teachers; and improving students' speaking and listening skills. Articles and their authors are as follows:…

Focusing on the not-yet-conventional ways in which young children write and read--their nature, contexts, and significance for continuing literacy development, this book presents the perspective that children's early reading and writing behaviors are not pre- anything, but are integral parts of an incipient language process. Following an…

Discusses one student's persistence in misunderstanding her teacher's written comments on her papers. Notes that student and teacher bring different sets of information, skills, and values to each written response episode, and that mismatched expectations can occur even with high-achieving students. (SKC)

Focusing on future directions for English and reading research, the papers presented in this book examine the complex interplay of skills, processes, and classroom conditions that influence the development of children's competence in reading, writing, and the language arts. The titles and authors of the essays are as follows: (1) "Reading and…

Intended for classroom teachers of all grade levels, this annotated bibliography includes a wide range of theoretical and practical sources in the field of writing education. The bibliography is divided by topic into 27 sections, each of which is introduced by brief questions that suggest more specifically the kinds of research represented in that…

To address the need for information on techniques and theory on the evaluation of composition instruction, this book has been revised to incorporate the most recent thinking on the topic. It begins with suggestions for how readers of different backgrounds can make best use of the book, followed by an introduction. The first chapter deals with…

Drawn from talks given at a conference held at the University of New Hampshire in October 1984, the papers in this collection explore the relationship of composition to reading and literature studies. Following an introductory chapter written by Thomas Newkirk, which contains background information about that relationship as well as an overview of…

The purpose of this book is twofold: to present important coherence models and to suggest how insights from coherence theory and research can be introduced to the classroom. The book is organized into four sections: theoretical overview, coherence models, studies of student writing, and pedagogical approaches. Articles include: "Seven Problems in…