An understanding of student learning and of the reasons for differential student performance is crucial to improving teaching and learning practices in tertiary education. This article aims to contribute to that understanding by reporting on an empirical study which examined two sets of student texts on the topic "What is law?", written…

It seems that everyone is using science journals or notebooks lately. As middle school science teachers, the authors use science journals as a tool to enhance students' knowledge and understanding of content and reinforce students' writing skills. Here they share how they use science journals to motivate students to write about science in middle…

The present study examines the expressive writing abilities of children described by their teachers as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms and of matched controls and the effects of two types of facilitation. A group of 35 ADHD children and matched controls are given the task of composing a letter either under standard…

Substantially updated for today's world, this second edition offers chapters on 12 different categories of writing, each of which is briefly introduced with a definition, notes on appropriate writing strategies, and suggestions for using the book to locate topics. Types of writing covered include description, comparison/contrast, process,…

This book features rhetorically-arranged activities and assignments that connect students' everyday lives to the writing process. The individual and group assignments in the book appeal to different student learning styles and encourage an interactive approach to writing. The text is divided into four main parts: The Narrative Essay; The…

Surveys sources of news stories written by students in a media writing course concerning issues such as accuracy of facts, correct information, and use of direct quotes. Notes that having news sources respond to students' stories helps them to understand the importance of accuracy in writing and the implications of working with sources. (PA)

Presents three brief essays that discuss approaching traditional literature (Thornton Wilder's "Our Town," Mark Twain "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," and Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales") in imaginative ways in high school English and vocational/technical classrooms. (RS)

Claims that capturing an adolescent novel in shaped, found, or structured poetry gives students ways to tell others what the novel meant to them. Discusses five poetic forms (riddle poem, found poem, character poem, poem for two voices, and repeat poster poem) and presents student poems. (RS)

Analyzes the institutionality and intractability of the "close reading" assignment. Maintains that the close reading assignment functions as an index to English in the academy. (RS)

Describes a short writing exercise that aims at expanding the cultural literacy of students and raises many questions about the process of interpreting literature. Notes that each student researches a biblical, mythological, literary, or historical reference and then writes a short paper explaining how the comparison adds to the understanding of…

Argues that exploratory discourse, an old but little appreciated genre, may be particularly suited for revealing and enabling the kind of thinking in matters that do not lend themselves to absolute proof. Discusses exploratory writing assignments suitable for freshman composition courses. (RS)

Critical thinking is being promoted as a vital element in secondary education. Home economics teachers can help students develop critical thinking skills through structured writing assignments beginning with free writing and proceeding to more formal papers. (SK)

Explores the use of the term "voice" in written discourse as a metaphor for "authority," a quality that distinguishes an effective writer. Proposes a "scale of negotiation" and a sequence of assignments for a 15-week term in which students gradually establish a position of authority over their texts. (RS)

Explains the guidelines for an exercise based on the poem "The Little Mute Boy" by F. Garcia Lorca. States that students are to: discuss synesthesia, the substitution of senses; explore the surreal senses; think about life without a sense; create a net of surprises; write a poem; and read the poem aloud. (PA)

Describes a writing project in which elementary students write Choose-Your-Own adventure stories. (SR)