To determine the effect of diverse methods of instruction on the written composition of students in a small community junior college, 133 subjects (both transfer and terminal students) were given 10 weeks of instruction in one of three methods--programmed instruction (covering three assigned programmed texts), developmental reading (stressing…

This curriculum guide discusses an English program for the middle school and the junior high school. The guide is based on the premise that the study of English involves helping the student to clarify, order, interpret, and communicate his experiences through the skillful use of language. This is achieved by allowing the student to exercise oral…

The 1972-1973 issue of "Classroom Practices in Teaching English" focuses on the topic of the evaluation of student performance. The 42 articles and statements describe ways to measure reading, writing, and speaking. The writers are teachers in elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities. About half of them are identified with…

These "notes on a response-centered curriculum" specify four objectives of an English program in the schools. In the program an individual is to trust himself; get to know himself; recognize his differences from others; and recognize his similarity with others. After an overview of the response-centered English curriculum, chapters are devoted to:…

This collection of essays explores two interpretations of "reading and the individual." One interpretation concerns the effect reading has upon an individual's self-concept and his total personality; the second interpretation relates to the methods used in teaching reading, recognizing the peculiar needs, interests, desires, abilities, and…

The essays in this book point out an unhappiness with existent forms of English teaching and emphasize possibilities for a future in which the human-ness and humane-ness of literary, linguistic, and writing experiences will be encouraged. Authors and papers are (1) Louise M. Rosenblatt, "Literature and the Invisible Reader"; (2) Muriel Crosby,…

This study of the negative side of children's writing utilized an experimental group and a control group equalized according to sex and the results of the language sub-tests of the Stanford Achievement Tests. Students wrote two 1,000 word composition samples, one during the first month of the study and one during the ninth month. The purposes of…

Argues against direct formal grammar instruction in middle school. Notes that even students with high IQ's frequently score low on cognitive development measures, with children in the concrete stage of thinking usually unable to identify simple subjects and verb phrases. Recommends that until students achieve a level of formal reasoning they…

Analysis of errors collected from English essays of native Arabic-speaking university students and their translations from Arabic into English identified 14 error classifications, with the vast majority of errors attributable to negative transfer or interference from Arabic. (CB)

Three articles address different uses of computers in education. British inservice training for primary school teachers using microcomputer-based adventure software is described; fundings of two Canadian projects using computer teleconferencing are reviewed; and the use of computer-assisted instruction for primary school mathematics education is…

A program is described which successfully improved writing and communication skills in adolescents with learning and behavior problems. The students, inpatients at a mental health hospital, wrote "jargon journals" on topics from a student-generated list. The journals had therapeutic as well as academic benefits. (Author/JDD)

Discusses strategies for improvement of the mechanical and grammatical structures of written English while still focusing on content in composition. (NKA)

To determine the reliability of evaluation decisions about student writing competency across modes of discourse, a large sample of students was randomly assigned a writing task in one of four modes of discourse. Results provide evidence that mode of discourse must be considered when judging the adequacy of student writing. (Author/LMO)

Reviews current literature on coherence in written text, defines coherence in broad terms, and then presents a three-lesson revision unit based on modern coherence principles. In this unit, students "deconstruct" assignment prompts, prepare first drafts, examine another student's first draft, and then revise their essays and examine the revisions.…

A single-class method to help students clarify their thinking so they can identify quality work is presented. Unless students are familar with the criteria being applied to their work, their assignment work is unlikely to show improvement. (MLW)