This investigation was concerned with five questions: (1) To what degree to children in grade 5 use the same words in speaking and writing? (2) Do they use similar sentence structure in speaking and writing? (3) Do they maintain the same quality of expression in speaking and writing? (4) Is there a difference in the language performance of boys…

To determine the effects of oral sentence-structure exercises upon student writing, a 1-year experiment was conducted with two randomly matched fourth-grade classes of approximately equal size, one control class and one experimental class. The experimental group regularly completed exercises designed to teach students to produce sentences…

The purpose of this study was to provide a historical analysis of composition instruction during the period 1886-1926. The resource materials analyzed included books, articles, yearbooks, comparative catalog studies, methods textbooks, English syllabi, papers read before the National Council of Teachers of English and the American Association of…

The purpose of this canonical and multiple correlation study of measures of writing ability was to develop a valid weighted index of writing ability to replace the single measures now being used to evaluate elementary English programs. The subjects, 134 pupils from each fourth, fifth, and sixth grade level of Broadway and Dunham schools in Maple…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a program designed to improve the quality of written composition by teaching students the components and use of a descriptive writing scale so that they could rate their own compositions and those of other students. The study consisted of two groups, an experimental group and a…

The papers in this book resulted from a workshop entitled "Toward a Humanistic Curriculum in English," cosponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English and the Michigan Council of Teachers of English. Papers are grouped under the major headings "The English Teaching Workshop--Program Design,""A Listing of…

The required English course is one of the best places to assist with career guidance, particularly in schools where the placement office and the counseling center lack personnel to offer regular group seminars in career choice. For this reason a basic composition course was designed with an emphasis on vocations and was intended to teach writing…

In this collection of articles, the results of recent research in handwriting and spelling are reported and evaluated in the perspective of studies done over the past 50 years. The articles included are "Handwriting and Spelling: Their Current Status in the Language Arts Curriculum,""Handwriting Research" ("Movement and Quality" and "Style and…

A systematic procedure for the development of proposals for funding under Title III, ESEA, originating from the needs of one elementary school, was developed by the author. The procedure was designed to involve community members and the school staff in the appraisal of funding opportunities, the development of topics and objectives, the…

The focus of this book, "re-vision," derived from concerns expressed in the open meeting of the November 1973 convention of the National Council of Teachers of English by teachers interested in changes in classroom practices which result from reflection on a particular problem and the subsequent search for a solution. Following an…

The components of a competency-based English curriculum, grades K-12, are described, taking into account competencies at various levels rather than grades. The content areas at each level include listening, speaking, reading, writing, language, literature, and media. An explanation is provided at each stage of development for: needs assessment;…

Clarity in communication is important for workers in the General Accounting Office since much of the auditing work must be committed to paper if Congress, government officials and employees, or the public are to benefit. As a result an extensive writing improvement program was launched and this booklet written. Part 1 covers basic communication…

This learning module is designed to provide the prospective teacher of English as a second language with suggestions for practical applications of sound linguistic theory for teaching writing to second-language learners. After completing the module, the student is expected to be able to: (a) define the role of writing in foreign and…

This bulletin reports on studies dealing with the major role of composition and the supporting roles of discussing, dictating, illustrating, spelling, and handwriting in improving the language skills of elementary school students. Chapters include "Composition in Primary Grades," which stresses the importance of teaching children to express…

At present, college entrance examinations unfortunately determine only those students who will achieve good grades at the university level, thus ignoring the individual and social needs of minority students by avoiding an estimation of their knowledge and ability to do the reading and writing necessary outside the university. Both the Scholastic…