A common aphorism in the halls of education is that the writing skills of Americans decline over time. Compared to the "golden age of letters," so the argument goes, each subsequent generation of writers is worse than the last. Although contemporary readers and educators commiserate over encounters with bad writing, a fair comparison of 18th…

The article reports the development of the Structural Analysis of Written Language (SAWL), an instrument designed for use by classroom teachers in objectively documenting the ability of children to write in English. The SAWL allows teachers to use T-unit analysis to quantitatively assess language improvement regardless of whether the student…

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…

Describes six key guidelines for developing usable procedure manuals, including defining the audience; designing a standard format; preparing an outline; using a clear, concise writing style; testing the procedures; and "finalizing" the product with indices, glossaries, appendices, and section tabs. Well-written manuals can increase…

Describes how one teacher learned to eliminate ethical and pedagogical problems inherent in student journal writing by placing restrictions on assignments. (ARH)

The writing center at Central-Hower High School in Akron, Ohio, provides all students access to and assistance in computerized word processing. This article describes the writing center's purpose, goals, hardware, and software, and outlines the processes used to train teachers and students in using the system. (PGD)

Presents a humorous account of possible dissertation topic and its rejection. (EL)

Proposes the question of whether patterns of arrangement are an aid to writing. Answers the question with a presentation of Cicero's pattern of arrangement and its relationship to invention. (EL)

Lists eight ways to develop a topic for a composition. (DF)

Discusses the problem of poor English skills among college students and the need for correct English in business and industrial communication. Presents techniques for improving such skills. (HTH)

Examines how a technical writing textbook defied its own writing prescription to use short concise sentences, noting that this and other such prescriptions oversimplify. (HTH)

Outlines one school's approach to using microcomputers to help teach writing skills in high school. (MD)

Presents ideas on writing instruction for teachers of mathematics, physics, accounting, biology, and social studies. Contains guidelines for designing writing assignments in various content areas. (EL)

Draws parallels between increasing simplicity in the author's writing and a similar simplicity in his life. (HTH)

Discusses the advantages of having composition students write plays and perform them in class. (FL)