There are few curricular programs or activities in the schools which help students develop skills that enable them to participate actively in voluntary civic or political activities. Literacy, and especially civic writing, is critical for participation in the civic process. But teaching civic writing, which is distinguished by its purposes,…

A study examined the types of writing courses currently offered by English departments at major universities, how they have changed over the last 10 years, and whether enrollments have increased or decreased during that period. The English departments at 198 institutions with graduate programs were surveyed; 105 usable responses were received (a…

Intended for use as a training model for writing teacher inservice efforts, this report surveys the Portland (Oregon) Writing Project which was designed specifically to improve the quality of writing instruction and the quality of student writing in Portland schools. Following an introduction that outlines the goals of the project, the report…

This guide explains how to plan, develop, and conduct a writing workshop for literacy volunteers who will be working with beginning readers. The workshop has been developed to introduce literacy volunteers to the idea of writing original supplementary reading materials, give them experience in writing with a controlled vocabulary and strict…

Lesley College and the public schools in Cambridge, Massachusetts collaborated in a project using the natural learning model from Don Holdaway's "The Foundations of Literacy" to improve literacy education in grades K-6. The first two phases of natural learning (desire to learn a skill and attempting the new skill with a proficient…

Reports in the ERIC database have found that computer-assisted writing instruction has some effect--if not a dramatic impact--in both the quantity and quality of student writing. Although computers are becoming more common in schools, the influx of computers into schools may not assure students ample opportunity to use them. Limited time-on-task…

To assist in the process of improving writing instruction, a study assessed the status of writing in the District of Columbia Public Schools. The study consisted of four components: a teacher survey; a student survey; principal interviews; and a curriculum assessment. The teacher survey was administered to 897 teachers in 34 schools and the…

Although the complexities of the concept of audience in nonacademic settings are gradually being recognized, audience analysis continues to be viewed primarily as a cognitive, problem-solving activity. Grounded in decontextualizing research--such as protocol analysis--this approach to audience assumes that, to inform appropriate writing choices,…

A study was conducted at Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) to analyze the college's assessment of students' reading and writing skills, investigate the relationship between assessment scores and grades in specific content courses, establish the relationship between developmental course completion and content course grades, and measure…

This report covers the activities of 1985 high school graduates of the Los Angeles Unified School District one year after graduating. The questionnaires, administered via the mail, surveyed graduates concerning their educational pursuits, employment endeavors, and opinions regarding their educational experience. Approximately 33% of the 9,299…

A study examined student-teacher writing conferences in a ninth grade English class to uncover what significance this form of instruction has both as a collaborative methodology and as a factor in individualizing the process of learning to write in the secondary school. Subjects included a successful ninth grade English teacher at a public high…

Six strategies for teaching handwriting skills to learning disabled elementary students are presented, along with a rationale and illustrated step-by-step teaching procedures for each. Skills addressed include the following: (1) improving eye-hand coordination through dot-to-dot alphabet letter tracing; (2) teaching basic strokes in manuscript…

To establish collaboration between theory and practice, between teaching and learning, and between researchers and teachers, a three-year project was initiated at Metcalf Laboratory School. Teachers were invited to explore reading comprehension and composition in their classrooms in a manner that supported unique teacher decision making and…

In recent characterizations of reading and writing, the distinctions melt into each other so that one definition serves for both: both are the creation of meaning. In the act of creating meaning, readers become writers and writers become readers. While reading is primarily receptive and writing is primarily productive, fluency in reading is very…

Articles in these proceedings of a conference of the Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication represent the views of professional communicators and academicians who share a concern for providing breadth and quality of preparation for present and future technical communicators. The 11 papers discuss the following topics: (1)…