This book describes a way to develop effective spellers--boys and girls who have a system for writing words accurately in their school compositions and in personal messages. Teachers know that to develop effective spellers, they must attend to helpful rules and to regular practice. Most research on effective spelling can be reduced to these two…

Examines ERIC documents that discuss some of the writing problems of learning disabled students. Suggests classroom instructional strategies to help the learning disabled student best overcome his or her specific difficulty. (HTH)

Punctuation, the original purpose of which was elocutionary, evolved a syntactic purpose as silent reading became more common. Despite the great similarity of punctuation rules among handbooks and manuals, punctuation has not been completely standardized. Punctuation practices vary from genre to genre, and the "best" fiction and…

Argues that writing promotes engagement with a text, leading to better comprehension, and that writing tasks should vary depending on the nature of the reading task. (RAE)

Describes the characteristics of legalese--inflated and obscure legal language--and suggests strategies for helping present and future document designers create understandable prose. (MM)

Provides content area teachers with teaching strategies designed to integrate writing instruction into their classes, not only to improve student writing skills but also to enhance subject matter learning. (RL)

Describes various teaching models that have proven effective in teaching argumentation. (HOD)

The activity book is designed to help children learn that writing messages and stories will help them see the value of learning to spell. The activity book's program is based on the ideas that accurate spelling contributes to the clarity of written messages; spelling accuracy shows attention to detail, sending a positive message to teachers and…

Arguing that the ability to write effectively hinges upon having an adequate vocabulary, this digest explores some of the ways vocabulary influences writing ability, and how teachers can use vocabulary development specifically to improve writing skills. The digest suggests that the breadth and depth of a student's vocabulary will have a direct…

Describes ERIC as an up-to-date database that has relatively few items that center on conventions and mechanics, and yet there are hundreds of citations including ERIC descriptors such as spelling, grammar, and syntax. Presents a seven-item annotated bibliography of journal articles and books (published in ERIC between 1991 and 1993). (PA)

States that incorporating a short poetry or drama unit in a composition course can stimulate both students and teachers and that the benefits include more creative thinking, better attitudes toward writing and assignments, and sharpened revision skills. (EL)

This Student Activity Book is designed to be used with the "Guidebook for Parents and Teachers" of the same series. The Level 3 activity book consists of worksheets intended to help children discover and practice the most important patterns and principles that govern English spelling and writing. It includes short and long vowels, punctuation,…

Arguing that becoming a successful author requires the ability to write simply, clearly, and forcefully, this book provides practical suggestion for clear and forceful professional writing. Chapters include: (1) "Why Write"; (2) "Finding Topics"; (3) "Getting Started"; (4) "About Style"; (5) "Organizing…

Research has found that the process of writing is similar for both first and second language learners. Therefore, several conclusions can be drawn about writing development in English-as-a-second-language (ESL) children, including: (1) ESL learners can write and can create meaning, while they are learning English; (2) ESL learners can respond to…

Examines some of the variables that have been found to affect topic choice and writing performance in writing assessment. (FL)