Much of Debra Matthews' teaching experience has been with apprehensive writers, and while teaching freshman English to primarily nontraditional students, she found that the students were often nervous about the writing process. The students acknowledged that they felt threatened by the evaluation process, and some were intimidated by the writing…

Creating well constructed sentences is challenging for most writers. For less skilled writers, including writers with learning disabilities (LD), it can be even more difficult. These writers generally produce less syntactically complex sentences that contain more grammatical errors. They may also produce sentences that are shorter; have higher…

Most college professors are looking for ways to make writing a positive experience for students. This is increasingly a challenge in our contemporary world, which tends to be very image-oriented. This short paper outlines ways in which student writing-projects can be designed encourage critical and innovative thinking in students. Inclusive…

As teacher-facilitators, Joseph M. Shosh and Jennifer A. Wescoe emphasize the educational value of theater. To promote student leadership of a production, students audition for roles on and off stage and contribute to the technical aspects of the production through "crew days," from which they build community and develop a sense of respect for the…

This article describes a take-home literacy project in which kindergartners took home books, a stuffed animal, a camera, and a shared writing activity to complete with their families. The children later shared their writing and experiences in school. The resulting written responses and photographs depicted a level of involvement with the families…

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)