A means now exists which allows the authors of computer-assisted instructional (CAI) programs to enter new exercises into the computer even if they possess only a minimum of expertise about computers and programing. The routine, called Journalism Computer Assisted Instruction (JCAI), is used for computer analysis of student writing in journalism…

Ten sections of Freshman Composition were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control condition. The experimental method, in order to motivate students to revise and rewrite, delayed grades until revisions were completed. The control method used incidental revision with immediate grades. Five instructors each taught one experimental…

This book is a collection of Frost's letters, reviews, introductions, lectures, and interviews on writing dating back to 1913. It provides Frost's view of literature, and its relation to language and social order. Part one, "Frost as a Literary Critic," discusses the scope of Frost's criticism and Frost as both critical theorist and…

Strategies proposed in this study for teaching composition at the secondary level incorporated an expanded concept of semantics. A survey of semantic developments indicated that a composition program stressing the interrelationship of syntax, semantics, and pragmatics in a communication situation was a desideratum. As an initial procedure, the…

Studies involving different populations were involved in this four-part evaluation of the impact of non-graded, multi-selective English on high school students. Study A involved students who consistently scored high or low in percentile gain in the four ability groups, to ascertain any pattern of courses selected, sequences of courses attended,…

This publication completes the first year experimental language development program which has been devised for use with young aboriginal children in Queensland. Two sections of suggested activities are included featuring two themes, transport and travel, and the world around us. Suggested activities include oral use of language units, reading,…

In this study, three grade 5 classes were tested during a 3 week period to determine the effect that classroom discussion has on certain quantitative aspects of composition. Each week, 78 subjects viewed a short film with no narration and--after either no discussion, class discussion, or paired-student discussion--were required to write…

To analyze the use of metaphor in inducing innovative thinking in fourth grade children, two series of metaphorical activities were developed--the first asking children to compare given stimuli to a variety of other things, the second asking children to become other things (e.g., doorknobs). Oral and written responses were elicited from five…

This study attempted (1) to test the efficiency, simplicity, and experimental power of Paul Diederich's Method for measuring growth in writing ability, a method which allows for the cooperative evaluation of student writing using local criteria, and (2) to use this Method to measure both writing ability and grading consistency in a specific…

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, this curriculum unit, intended for grades three and four, introduces students to some of the mechanics of writing and provides some practice in using these mechanics. The unit contains an introduction to writing and seven sections, covering beginning and end punctuation, commas, the apostrophe,…

This curriculum guide for the teaching of composition contains more than sixty lessons for use with third and fourth grade students. Each lesson contains a statement of purpose, a resume, a list of materials, and directions for teaching the lesson. The major sections for both third and fourth grade are: (1) "Let's Pretend with Things,"…

This curriculum guide provides suggested learning activities for a sequential program in composition skills for grades K-12. The composition skills discussed are listed in developmental levels, not necessarily in terms of grade levels. It is recommended that the student become familiar with basic skills before progressing to the more complex ones.…

Students in grades 4, 5, or 6 can learn to write more concretely, accurately, and deliberately by employing three strategies: (1) elimination of those words or phrases that garble meaning or repeat unnecessarily; (2) substitution of more specific, concrete, and generally more appropriate expressions for ones that are vague and unimaginative; and…

This curriculum guide to a mini-course in world literature for high school students is restricted to the study of five short novels written in the twentieth century: "Demian" and "Siddhartha" by Hesse, "Platero and I" by Jimenez, "We Never Make Mistakes" by Solzhenitsyn, and "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" by Joyce. The objectives of the…

This book discusses various approaches to the teaching of composition from classical and contemporary sources. It is intended to give a comprehensive coverage of the various kinds of oral and written themes students are expected to create in college and high school. The book can be used as a basic text in college composition and rhetoric, for…