A study of the written language that was produced within one junior high school social studies classroom over a 38-minute period was based on the assumptions that (1) written language is not only affected by the context of the communicative event in which it is involved, but is also involved in the construction of the communicative event; (2) the…

In the belief that parents and teachers working together are the best means for assuring that children will become skillful writers, this document contains suggestions for parents that are designed to encourage a positive attitude toward writing in children. The first part of the document presents ten things to do at home, including giving…

A study was conducted to determine whether a significant correlation existed between an essay's letter grade and five important factors of syntactic maturity (clause length, t-unit length, sentence length, clauses per t-unit, and t-units per sentence). A total of 45 essays--15 A, 15 B, and 15 C papers as graded by five junior college English…

Intended for both classicists and nonclassicists, this volume explores the beginnings of literacy in ancient Greece and Rome and examines the effects of written communication on these cultures. The nine articles, written by classical scholars and educators in the field of communication, discuss the following: the superiority of the alphabet over…

The classroom-tested ideas for teaching writing described in this booklet are based on the beliefs that writing is a teachable skill, that it is a process with constituent steps, and that students need evaluation at each stage of writing. Following an introduction that identifies eight steps in the writing process and discusses class organization,…

Nontraditional students in the community college can profit from their composition courses if these courses give them the chance to discover what words can do and to use that discovery to best serve their own interests and ambitions. To serve these aims, composition courses should be based on the following assumptions: students are to be accepted…

The four components of quality instruction identified by Benjamin Bloom in "Human Characteristics and School Learning" (1976) form the basis of a remedial composition program designed for disadvantaged junior college students. The first component, cues for learning, is programed into the packets of student materials. These cues include identifying…

A community college reading/study skills course was designed to progressively introduce the student to the logical elements involved in symbolic processing and to facilitate understanding of the nature of the processes, as well as of impediments to them and of methods that will facilitate maximum efficiency in dealing with written material. The…

Thirteen alternatives to using competency based tests should be considered when diagnosing student competency in writing: teacher-made or departmental tests, teacher-student conferences, contractual grade agreements between student and teacher, student self-evaluation, individualized goal setting, keeping files or portfolios of student work,…

College students who have clear goals for careers in engineering, management, law, medicine, and teaching have a pressing need to become proficient in writing, speaking, listening, and reading. While they should continue the reading and analysis of imaginative literature that they began in high school, they should also develop their latent powers…

Four assumptions about factors leading to writing improvement may be related to instruction in supplemental writing laboratories (or "writing labs") that use tutorial conferencing to serve students needing help with classroom assignments or specific skills. The assumptions and their relation to writing lab instruction are as follows: (1)…

This book describes "Revitalize," an arts and aging program developed for the Fine Arts Council of Florida. The rationale behind the program, research involved in its structures, the evolution of ideas, the selection of the Neighborly Center, Inc. as a partner agency, the designation of sites for the program, the choice of artists, and the intent…

This booklet is one of a series of teacher-written curriculum publications launched by the Bay Area Writing Project, each focusing on a different aspect of the teaching of composition. Step-by-step directions are provided to develop small writing response groups in any junior high or high school classroom, whether English, science, or social…

BECAUSE MOST OF THE BEGINNING PHASE OF FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR ENGLISH HAS BEEN COMPLETED, THIS IS IN ONE SENSE A TERMINAL REVIEW OF THE WORK COMPLETED OR NEAR COMPLETION BY THE CURRICULUM STUDY AND DEMONSTRATION CENTERS SUPPORTED BY THE COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM OF THE OFFICE OF EDUCATION. AN INTRODUCTION ASSESSES THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CENTERS'…

A RATIONALE IS PROVIDED IN THIS INTRODUCTION FOR AN 11TH-GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM IN LITERATURE, LANGUAGE, AND RHETORIC. THE SECTION ON LITERATURE JUSTIFIES A SPIRALLY-DEVELOPED CURRICULUM, AN INDUCTIVE TEACHING METHOD, AND AN ANALYTICAL APPROACH TO PLAYS, POEMS, AND FICTIONAL WORKS AND EMPHASIZES THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF FORM AND CONTENT. IN…