Discusses transformation from two different points of view regarding teaching children's writing. Consists of two main parts by the two authors. Presents in each writer's portion interspersed comments by the other writer reflecting the differences and the similarities in these two teachers' ongoing processes of personal and professional…

Describes how the author used literature with her second-grade students to explicitly demonstrate elements of the writer's craft. Focuses on how writers get their ideas, descriptive language, and character development. Describes how these young students made noticeable improvements in their writing over a fairly short period of time. Draws…

Discusses 10 often-asked questions regarding writing and young children, synthesizing current research on developmental writing stages, information from experienced classroom teachers, and observations from a variety of early childhood settings. (SR)

Considers what constitutes learning to write and how children develop the ability. Explores (1) learning from peers; (2) learning from the teacher; and (3) learning about the functions of text. (PA)

Examines gender influences and roles in a language arts classroom. Finds a bias for tales of adventure outside the realm of everyday concerns, which silences the voices of girls and some boys. Argues that the concept of an engaging story should be enlarged to include stories of cooperation and connection, and to embrace both the everyday and the…

Considers the importance of materials from popular culture in children's literate activities. Emphasizes the dynamic ways in which children adapt symbols from popular culture for their own academic and social purposes. Argues for the need to view popular culture more respectfully. (NH)

Establishes the role of the written name as transitional object which reaffirms preschoolers' self-concept and initiates them into the community of producers of written language. Outlines the conceptual framework to reveal the significance of the written form of children's names, and explores the role of the personal name in relation to…

While a wealth of knowledge about the teaching of poetry exists, many teachers are still fearful about teaching it. Others have tried unsuccessfully to write poetry with students and have turned to merely reading poetry on occasion as a means to teach the genre. This article seeks to debunk the mystery surrounding the teaching of poetry through…

This study examines the Daily Oral Language (DOL) program aimed at helping students learn mechanics of writing through daily editing exercises. This nine-month study sought to determine if DOL improved editing skills and actual writing skills of seventy fourth-grade students. While the results of this study did not statistically demonstrate the…

This study analyzed 131 computer-generated graphics for evidence of emergent writing. Four preschool children created the drawings on a color and a black-and-white computer during eight weekly 1.5 hour sessions. Audio and videotapes were obtained to review procedures, language, and emergent literacy intent. Drawings were categorized independently…

Girls and boys write differently. Girls like to write about subjects close to home: self, friends, parents, teachers. Boys write about activities in the community beyond the home: technology, sports, policemen, firemen, war. Boys not only write about vigorous engagement but demonstrate it in the classroom where they tend to dominate while girls…

Drawing from her own experiences as well as those of other teachers, the author of this book shares a variety of useful and practical teacher-tested strategies that have helped young children experience success in writing. With easy-to-access information, the book provides teachers with: ways to build children's interest, enthusiasm, and…

This book offers an entire year of journaling ideas--some serious, some "silly," but all tied to the calendar year. In fact, the book's sections are the months of the year. Each idea in the book comes with a fact-filled introduction and aims to prove that writing does not have to be boring or dull. As a special feature, many entries in…

For a project, a university researcher and a group of education graduate students in literacy and language education at Purdue University exchanged e-mail with 32 third graders in two classes at a northern California elementary school. The overall aim of the project was to build the children's literacy and communication skills by involving them in…

A study analyzed children's compositions from grades 1-4 in Slovenian schools. Children described real places within the framework of an experientially provable world, which is empirically available to them within the limits of their abilities and possibilities. Irreal places were described inventively without the support of experience, although…