Managers can coach employees in writing better reports by helping them through the following steps: audience and purpose, idea generation, organization, drafting, and editing for style, structure, and mechanics. (SK)

Discusses several techniques used in the popular press which may be used in technical manuals to communicate more efficiently and, sometimes, to make the manuals fun to read. (SR)

Argues that writing instruction should lead student writers to find their voice in their writing and that this will only happen if they write often for personal purposes and personal expression. (SR)

Describes how a sign-in procedure in Head Start classrooms at the beginning of class can provide a functional use for name writing and give children practice and opportunities to gain confidence in writing. Outlines specific procedures for implementing a sign-in routine and provides examples of the impact of the routine on young children. (KB)

Considers the recent history of writing centers and evidence that disrupts rather than confirms ideal conceptions about the function of a writing center. Discusses how "practical" writing centers have settled into a set of ideas about students and writing that needs examining. Examines the "troubling" affinities between recent arguments about the…

Describes a three-part exercise used in a first semester freshman composition class, intended to show students the world of details in even the most ordinary, everyday objects by having students write about a plastic coffee mug. (SR)

Suggests a positive relationship between ability grouping of media writing students and improved competence in mechanical skills such as grammar and Associated Press style. Finds that students' place in the remedial ability group improved to the point where their skill level was not significantly different from students in the regular ability…

Considers some obvious and some not so obvious syntax errors, and how to correct them, using numerous examples taken from material published or broadcast. (SR)

Discusses the author's goal of helping students see how mistakes in their writing distract readers and how errors have influenced the grade. Recommends the careful use of the "red pen" noting that it is easy to forget its power. Suggests that teachers use this power to help students grow as writers. (SG)

Argues that, after students are familiar with the characteristics of the five paragraph essay and the expectations of that genre, they can learn to play with those expectations to create lively writing that reveals more individual voice by mixing in other genres. Argues that such a strategy can teach students to engage in academic writing more…

Suggests that the five-paragraph theme does in fact have value, and explains why assumptions about its ills are wrong-minded. (SR)

Discusses the challenges of finding "voice" as a writer. Considers how a writer's voice is more than character and style. Notes that a writer's voice is the thumbprint of his or her whole person--his or her idea, wit, humor, passions and rhythms. Concludes that the discovery of voice is the real beginning of a writer's life as a writer.…

This paper examines how overt teaching is instrumental in reducing subject-verb agreement (SVA) errors of Malaysian EAP learners which in turn improves the quality of their writing. The researchers used overt teaching of these grammatical items, that is, SVA and investigated how this method has significantly benefitted the learners who were second…

To prevent summer achievement loss and help ensure Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for all students as mandated by No Child Left Behind (NCLB), school districts are enacting summer enrichment programs. To determine effectiveness, additional student assessments are often required and instructional time is reduced. The goals of this study were to…

Wiki empowers users in generating, revising, and organizing their own content. In this study, we review literature to gain theoretical support for wikis that impact learning. In a context of student journalists learning news writing, we design a two-phase field study: (1) Phase I--to examine learners' reflections on learning news writing in wiki…