A US history activity which generated excitement and enhanced class discussion involved students in writing each other letters as imaginary correspondents living through the period under study. Follow-up activities included displaying letters on bulletin boards, reading correspondence aloud in class, a debate, and a class-written history play. (RM)

Postulates that successful writing of all kinds depends on freeing the writer's imagination. Suggests techniques teachers can use to help students find their individual voice in writing, such as providing appropriate classroom proxemics, asking students to complete an evocative phrase, and having students critique each other's papers. (CJM)

Discusses the value of invented spelling as a means of encouraging young children to begin writing. Cites many examples of invented spelling. (FL)

Poses and answers several questions parents and teachers have about the value of invented spelling. (FL)

Suggests having students in fiction writing classes record overheard dialogue to develop a sense of realistic speech. (MM)

Four writers discuss how dealing with students, exams, lesson plans, and creating philosophies for their courses connect with their own writing. (CRH)

Investigated concerns, needs, and other characteristics of interpersonal relationships of adolescents (N=655) as reflected by stories written in response to pictures of people. Subjects were high school students and reformatory residents. Analysis indicated predominant themes were affiliation, aggression, achievement (sports), and drugs. Personal…

A personal history of learning to write in the different required forms and how particular teachers affected the learner's attitude. (CRH)

Offers six recommendations in response to a proposal to eliminate literature from the English program in Australia in favor of functional English skills. (HOD)

By interrelating the arts of language through a variety of activities children can improve their attitude toward school and their academic skills. (JH)

For one middle school teacher, the "functional grammar" approach to narrative writing promised to offer students explicit instruction in how to structure a narrative text to build up suspense, and it could give focus to the types of descriptive language that further engage readers. Her classroom research was built on the teacher…

For one instructor of eleventh and twelfth grade English, teaching the short story offers the best opportunity to teach fiction writing to students. It contains all the elements novels contain, but students can read many short stories in the same time they need to read a novel. Students can also write their own short stories. Above all, literature…

Connecting reading and writing has become an important trend in teaching the language arts. Poetry, as a salient facet of the reading curriculum, integrates well with different purposes in writing. Poetry read aloud to students can assist learners to enjoy reading activities and develop the feeling and aesthetic dimension of learning, among other…

Creative writing is not a magical art from magic wands, but an everyday practice in the hands of steady writers. Creative writing calls, above all, for self-discipline. Along with intellectual and emotional stamina, a poetic writer needs sensory awareness. The writer also forms a mysterious sixth sense--intuition. In search of the good words, the…

This document contains 51 poems, essays, and short stories that were authored by adult student writers throughout Ohio. The works were selected from 130 pieces of writing submitted by the students of 51 adult basic and literacy education (ABLE) teachers who encouraged their submission for presentation at the first Ohio Literacy Resource…