Describes a sequence of four studies that explored how people composed sentences while writing expository essays. Among the findings were that the sentence composition process was often guided by a writing plan, and the most frequent changes accomplished by revision of parts were word choice, aspect of meaning, and grammatical structure. (HOD)

Describes a study in which students in grades 5, 7, 9, 11, and college were taught to play a game, then given the task of writing instructions in how to play it. Shows the growth in students' informative writing skills over the grades. Appendixes contain scoring guidelines, a description of the game, and examples of the instructions. (FL)

Critically examines the process approach to the teaching of writing and cautions teachers to maintain a healthy skepticism about any approach that is used. (HOD)

Draws from date collected in a study of effective college composition instruction to discover six instructional patterns: (1) the literature approach, (2) the peer workshop approach, (3) the individualized workshop approach, (4) the text-based modes approach, (5) the basic skills approach, and (6) the service course approach. (FL)

Concludes that students whose teachers participated in process-model inservice training performed significantly better on a number of writing evaluation criteria than did those of teachers who had relied on a skills-approach technique.

Argues that in the approach to writing as process, educators have fallen into the either-or fallacy and eschewed writing as product, the study of models of communication. Suggests that they see the activity as two processes--one expression, the other communication--of envisioning and revisioning. (FL)

Analyzes more than 5,000 examples of "self-talk" gathered from blockers and nonblockers during the initiation and completion of writing sessions to reveal seven cognitive components of blocking: work apprehension, procrastination, dysphoria, impatience, perfectionism, evaluation anxiety, and rules. Indicates that blockers are more likely…

Evaluates process theory, suggests its limits, and addresses some of the conceptual problems it leaves unresolved. (RBW)

Reports on a study that examined the development of audience-adapted writing skills between the end of elementary school and the beginning of college, concluding that all students demonstrated sensitivity to the needs of a young reader. (HOD)

Relates some of the observations made of a kindergarten classroom over a two-year period in which teachers simulated as many conditions as possible with respect to a natural "learning-how-to-write" situation. (HOD)

Using essays written by twelfth grade students, a study explored the relationship of Halliday and Hasan's system for analyzing cohesion and instructors' ranking of textual coherence. (HOD)

Reports on a study that compared the potential validity, reliability, and costs of several direct and indirect measures of writing. (HOD)

Relates writing apprehension to a variety of measures of self-esteem and personality in 13 separate studies. (HOD)

Describes observations of one student's writing process and the ease with which the student transformed prose into poetry. Discusses what the teacher learned from the observations about the sensitivity and energy of eighth-grade writing students. (HTH)

Describes the structural and content characteristics of actual employment rejection letters (sent following job screening interviews) and analyzes their impact on applicants' feelings about themselves and about the letters. Concludes that few of the letter characteristics affected applicants' feelings about themselves, but that a number were…