Unless students have an appropriate attitude toward revision--the keystone of the writing process--teachers who institute writing process approaches face frustration and failure. Implementing the following suggestions may help increase revision in the classroom. First, while the mature writing process is not strictly linear, students developing…

The use of microcomputers as word processors for writing papers is commonplace in English departments, but there are many less well-known uses that English teachers can make of the computer. For example, word processing programs can be used to teach sentence combining. Moving text on the screen is very easy, so it is possible to rearrange words or…

Analysis of the variety and complexity of processes involved in composition suggests that while there is much a teacher can do to help students become proficient writers, it is also important to recognize that teachers have certain limitations. These include the degree to which they can provide students with knowledge about the writing topic;…

It is important that teachers help students to realize that writing is not simply a product, or a means to an end, but an exploratory, cyclical process. Research has shown that skilled writers conceptualize the effect of their writing as a whole, as a generative process, whereas unskilled writers are distracted by surface-level features and are…

A study examined what happens to student writing processes when word processing is combined with process-oriented composition instruction, and what effect this combination has on writing quality. The quantity of drafting and the amount of time spent on revisions were logged for 13 college students. In addition, a questionnaire was sent to 31…

Recognizing that writing across the curriculum supports the idea that writing is an integral part of the total learning process, this paper describes the philosophy of the writing program at Blue Ridge Technical College (North Carolina). It begins with some comments and thoughts on what makes writing worthwhile and how to judge good writing.…

This report summarizes the proceedings of a conference held at the Harvard Graduate School of Education which focused on the conceptual distinction between microworld software and expert system software in education. Microworld software is defined as software which lacks a specific teaching and learning agenda, and expert systems as software that…

Flexibility and change have characterized the 3-year history of the English curriculum-enrichment component of the Biomedical Sciences Preparatory Program (BioPrep)--a program that stresses science for rural high school students but includes the importance of writing and communication skills. In the program's first year the curriculum team set out…

A study evaluated the effects of one reading software program on the written language production of kindergarten and first grade students. Subjects were approximately 600 students from six different schools--three using the computerized reading program, Writing to Read, and three comparable in demographics, but not using the program. Stories…

A major problem in many composition classes is the unwillingness of the instructor to relinquish control in the classroom. Because students are excluded from having control in the classroom and control over their own writing, they become disenchanted with the processes of learning and discovery and the power those processes create. Students should…

Noting that the claim that writing is a way to learn underlies most writing across the curriculum programs, this paper provides an overview of recent research results supporting the claim and emphasizes the need for more research in this area. The paper first identifies three dominant interpretations in the writing across the curriculum…

Intended for teachers in all content areas, this guide provides activities for teaching formula poetry (poetry written according to a defined format) in all subject areas. First, a rationale for why teachers should include writing in their classrooms is presented. Next, the stages of the writing process are explained and the benefits of formula…

Instructional methods and rationales for all phases of the writing process are presented in this curriculum guide for grades one through eight. The first section of the guide presents 10 steps that comprise a process approach to writing based on research into the way writing happens. This is followed by descriptions of the various domains of…

Because a review of the literature shows a relationship between reading and writing, a project devised for teaching college composition classes consists of five assignments, culminating with a formal research paper. Students begin the project by doing research on an essayist chosen from a list provided by the teacher. In the first assignment,…

The nine teaching activities presented in these six extracted journal columns focus on writing assignments. The first assignment (by Gail Parson) presents a unit in which students compare the techniques used by four respected authors to evoke the world of dreams, and then--using what they learn from reading and talking about these stories--they…