Compares writing products of 60 third-grade students who drew before writing a story to writing products of 59 students who wrote without drawing. Finds that students who drew produced more words and overall wrote better than nondrawers. Notes that results were consistent for boys and girls regardless of group membership. (PA)

Points out that data analysis and representation are political acts in the research process. Argues that research methods should be demystified and made available for public criticism. Calls for the involvement of research participants in the development of research projects and for explorations of postmodern conceptions of subjectivity, knowledge…

Compares written stories of normally achieving and learning disabled (LD) children in grades 1-3. Tests receptive language, figure copying, and spelling. Finds that groups differed on figure copying, spelling, and written productivity, but not receptive language. Finds that non-LD grade level groups differed on two components of the handwriting…

Provides descriptive information about use of morphologically complex words in story writing of second and third graders, some with learning disabilities. Examines how commonly and accurately children used inflections, derivations, and compound words spontaneously in writing. Shows significant differences between grades and groups in frequency of…

Investigates five audience-related constructs related to the writing of adults demonstrating varying degrees of literacy competence. Studies 35 college-able writers demonstrating learning disabilities (LD), 22 LD writers attending a rehabilitation vocational training program, 35 remedial college writers, and 35 normally achieving college writers.…

Examines how two adult students "extrapolated" on previous writing experiences in particular genres to allow them to adapt to writing in new genres in a college writing course. Bases the findings on interviews with two adult students. (TB)

Asks if technical writers can predict results of a reader-focused text evaluation. Asks 15 technical writers to point out reader problems in a public information brochure, which was also evaluated by 30 readers from the target audience. Finds little overlap and little agreement among writers as to their problem detections. (PA)

Compares writing performance of Anglo American and Navajo students in grades 7 and 11 by gender and ethnicity. Finds, for example, that Navajo female students' writing is longer and more expressive than that of Navajo males. (Contains 40 references.) (PKP)

Cites and summarizes essays and reports of research on second and foreign language writing and writing instruction that have become available to its compilers during the period of July 1 to September 30, 2002. (Author/VWL)

Presents a new approach to examining second language writing among young learners, which the author defines as "Language mosaic." Offers a new perspective on the process of writing development and examines how and what children do in the writing process while developing an additional language. Suggests that educators should view the…

Evaluates the effectiveness of a writing improvement program outside the English department. Finds that the program prepared students for writing on the job. Considers changes in the writing program to make it a true writing-across-the-curriculum program. (RS)

Presents a case study focusing on a gifted student writer whose shyness and strong personal commitment to her writing is not well suited to the atmosphere of peer writing workshops. (MG)

Investigates the effects of word processing on student's compositions to untangle the seemingly contradictory findings of earlier research. Finds that students are increasing their fluidity and fluency while simultaneously failing to organize and focus their increased verbiage. (RS)

Focuses on the language of civil engineering as manifested in the professional journal "Civil Engineering ASCE." Articles are analyzed, both syntactically and lexically, in terms of three major rhetorical functions: description, prescription, and persuasion. (17 references) (GLR)

Analyzes a real-life writing session involving a male executive in the construction business, his female secretary, and a male representing himself as a state official, working collaboratively to write a letter to a state official urging action on a long overdue claim. Discusses the quality of the drafts and the participants' roles. (KEH)