Traditionally writing is taught in three segments: discourse, syntax, and grammar. Research in the 1970s questions this and shows that formal grammar study does little to improve student writing. Some educators are now showing that students learn English structure and grammar best as they find they need it through their own writing experiences.…

An award-winning author of children's books discusses her own writing. Among the most important considerations for her are: (1) self-expression; (2) letting the story speak from its own world; and (3) having children who read the book claim it for their own. (PP)

Presents five individual lesson plans to help elementary students progress through the writing process, from establishing a climate for writing through observing to rewriting, polishing, and mechanics. Each lesson includes a reproducible letter to involve parents in their child's writing. Part two of this article will appear in February 1982.…

Describes a classroom experiment in which students completed a creative writing assignment based on sex differences in achievement motivation and performance. Findings indicated that females demonstrated motives to avoid success while males seemed not to want to accept the idea of female achievement. Explains how the experiment can be used in…

Describes a five-step creative writing program designed to improve student language skills. (JL)

Presents four teaching ideas: (1) a writing activity for Level II based on photos and slides; (2) an exercise for Level II in organizing information preparatory to essay-writing; (3) an activity in grammar and creative writing for adults on an advanced level; and (4) a lesson for beginners using advertisements. (AMH)

Assignments, grading methods, and classroom techniques for teaching creative writing in the high schools. (RL)

Expounds Firth's views on the problems of translation and surveys theories of translation by some Firthian linguists. Defines the concept of meaning and the concept of varieties within a language, discussing various dialect categories and other categories that relate to constant features of speakers' and writers' use. (MES)

Presents an edited transcript of an informal discussion with Mina Shaughnessy on techniques to be used in teaching composition to inexperienced writers at the secondary and college levels. (DF)

Tracking down the similarities between two beloved stories (the Wizard of Oz and Star Wars) led to a critical analysis of other tales. Through this process, students discovered why some books are classics, became more discriminating readers, and applied what they learned to their own creative writing. (Author/KC)

Suggestions on unity, variety, and quality for literary magazines are provided by the faculty advisers on an award-winning publication. (RL)

The process of creating a canto in imitation of Dante's "The Inferno" not only enables students to gain a sense of medieval morality and history but also allows them to have an imaginative understanding of their own lives and times. (RL)

Shows how writing news stories about fairy tale characters enlivens student writing classes. Suggests assignments for creating a fairy tale newspaper with news stories, obituaries, editorials and letters to the editor, advice columns ("Ask Mother Goose"), weddings and social events, sports news, and advertisements. (RL)

Explains how haiku was used in fourth and fifth grade classes to help the children acquire needed discipline in their use of language. (RL)

The inhibiting effect of being conscious of the physical process of writing on the intuitive process of writing is discussed. (HTH)