Focuses on the benefits storytelling can have on the development of language and literacy in children. Highlights the positive rewards for children. Describes an example of how children wrote and told their own stories in a particular third-grade class. (RS)

A study examined the effectiveness of a highly explicit, teacher-directed instructional routine used to teach three planning strategies to 20 fourth-fifth graders with learning disabilities. In comparison to peers who received process writing instruction, those taught goal setting, brainstorming, and organizing spent more time planning stories and…

Discusses general issues related to attitudes towards writing, which may be of interest to those working with English-as-a-second-language students, especially students coming from educational settings where writing is not traditionally taught. Presents the practice of the Writing Center at Central uropean University, one of the few centers in…

Fifteen high-school students with learning disabilities were taught the acronym POWER (plan, organize, write, edit, and revise) and how to use self-instruction to improve their writing performance. Strategy instruction had a significant impact on students' writing performance with an increase in the quality and quantity of written products.…

Describes a drama-based language arts unit taught to a fifth grade class. Provides empirical evidence that drama as a strategy of instruction embedded within a writing/language arts unit helps students improve their writing. Suggests continued research and development of drama as a strategy of instruction. (PM)

Evaluates a method of re-drafting that puts the emphasis on meaning rather than appearance of text and reveals pupils' ability to improve their written work unaided. Presents evidence concerning how a group of low ability students alter their own written work when reading it aloud. (MG)

Suggestions are offered of ways to encourage the development of writing skills through the supportive sharing and provision of feedback. Suggestions are included for classroom writers' circles, writers' conferences, and editing/revising strategies. (DB)

Studies the significance of memorandum subject lines (the thematic titles or topic statements of memorandums) through an analysis of 483 memorandums. Describes a taxonomy which classifies a subject line as either neutral (introducing a topic without revealing the writer's intention) or directed (revealing intention). Argues that the taxonomy…

Explains how and why three crises caused a paradigm shift in one professor's way of teaching new teaching assistants to teach writing. Explains how as teachers and students became a family--a community of writers--each person in that community found a voice. (MG)

Examines the collegiate version of "Writer's Workbench" (a computer program that analyzes the surface elements of students' writing and provides feedback to assist in revision) on the writing of sophomore technical writing students. Concludes that "Writer's Workbench" can be an effective but limited tool for technical writing…

Discusses the advantages of conference teaching in writing labs. Provides several guidelines for conducting a teacher-student conference. (MM)

Describes a successful writing activity to help students become confident reporters for a classroom newspaper. Notes that this assignment incorporates several writing styles and literary devices. (MG)

Presents a model of written language that can guide the instruction of hearing-impaired students, and strategies and techniques for improving writing skills, using research and theory from such areas as fluency, syntax, vocabulary, content, conventions, student motivation, guided practice, student interaction, and selective feedback. (CB) (Adjunct…

A Spelling Trend Assessment Sheet can be used by teachers to quickly assess and evaluate student spelling problems, note error trends and causes, serve as a basis for student revisions, and help address parents' concerns about their children's spelling errors. (MDM)

A self-monitoring writing checklist can be used by elementary school students to deliberately take control of their own writing, helping them to improve spelling, syntax, and diction skills. (MDM)