One of the more difficult elements to teach well in the introductory technical writing classroom is rhetorical form. Although textbooks have gotten much better than in the past at teaching this element, some still imply that structure is a matter of filling up a set form with content. One way to help students avoid this difficulty is to introduce…

The Jewish tradition of text study and commentary may convey important messages to educators because of its probable inherent interest and for possible recommendations for pedagogical practice that might be suggested by it. Beyond seeking guidance in religious and everyday affairs, the last 2000 years of Torah study reveals a passionate commitment…

This paper attempts to show that certain structural relations that contribute to creating text in spoken and written monologue also bind segments together in conversation. Methodology is based on a model of text as consisting of sequences of a problem-solution structure. Analysis of texts from 12 purpose-oriented telephone conversations focuses on…

The notion of "textual norms" refers to sociocultural conventions that define the "well-formedness" of a text. Because well-formedness in texts is characterized by convention, different conventions may exist in a community and lead to norm conflicts when used in actual text generation. In this article, two types of norm conflict are described. In…

In two studies, college students' self-regulated learning was assessed and used as a predictor of transfer. Study 1 (n=229 undergraduates) explored whether components of self-regulation related to the ability to transfer information from a base problem-solving task to a target problem-solving task. Study 2 (n=98 undergraduates) replicated the…

Middle school students will interact with a variety of different texts to uncover a broader meaning of reading. During the three 50-minute sessions, students will identify different categories of text materials from basic picture books to textbooks; compile a list of strategies and processes needed to read the different types of books; and develop…

This article offers ideas as to how students can collaborate as they learn about and utilize a variety of text types (also known as rhetorical modes). The article begins with explanations of the teaching of text types and cooperative learning. The longest section of the article consists of examples of ways that students can use cooperative…

Describes the multidisciplinary nature of children's literature as a field of study. Suggests research in children's literature encompasses a diverse set of methodologies and theoretical perspectives. Discusses research on text, research on child readers, contexts that support engagement, and research needs. (RS)

Investigates gerontological research literature to discover what is known about age deficiencies in cognitive processes which might adversely influence instructional text processing. Maintains that, on the basis of findings, tentative guidelines could be given on designing such manuals. Proposes follow-up research to gather more knowledge on the…

Suggests that (1) readers store a substantial amount of text-sequencing information; (2) memory for text-sequencing information is strongly related to comprehension; (3) memory for place on the page is very weak; and (4) memory for place-on-the-page and text-sequencing information appear to be distinct. Indicates that text-sequence information is…

Examines the effects of reading comprehension ability and the presence of explicit or implicit causal relationships upon recall of propositional content and comprehension of interpropositional relationships. Finds that, in the late elementary grades, better readers begin to develop a strategy for the processing of written text which involves…

Results are reported from a study which showed that activating competent readers' naive conceptions about a complex science concept is not as effective in dispelling inaccurate information as activating their naive conceptions and then explicitly directing them to read and attend to ideas that might differ from their own. (IAH)

Outlines a series of activities using story writing to teach first grade students about story structure. (MM)

Suggests an approach to literature (derived from post-structuralism and deconstructionism) which goes beyond the concept of "teacher as authority," without totally abandoning form or structure. Demonstrates this approach in a discussion of Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter" and Philip Larkin's poem "High…

Examines the impact on proofreading accuracy of setting text in monospaced typewriter faces and proportionally spaced typefaces. Finds no significant differences. Notes that proofreading suffered when an irregularly spaced typeface was used. Suggests that text may be checked more thoroughly if its format suggests provisionality. (RS)