Articles in this publication address the writing process, teaching writing, and research on the teaching of writing, and take the form of personal experience or opinion, or explore the work of others who have contributed to the field. Articles in the first issue of the volume include: "Imaginary Gardens and Real Issues: Improving Language Arts in…

This report describes a program for improving writing in the primary grades through the use of guided mini-lessons, conferencing, and portfolios. The target population consists of first and second grade students in a growing, low to middle class community. The problems of poor writing skills were documented through teacher observations and student…

This report describes a program for improving the development of students' reading skills. The targeted population consisted of students in kindergarten, first, and second grades. The classrooms were located in adjoining lower socioeconomic areas. The problem of poorly developed reading skills was documented through data collected by the teacher…

A program was developed and implemented to improve and motivate students' writing in the elementary grades. Research data suggests probable causes for lack of student motivation and progress in writing. These causes include: overloaded and product driven curriculum, lack of appropriate teacher training, time-consuming and subjective grading…

This curriculum guide supports and gives structure to engaging students in writing-to-learn activities in science classes by delineating writing outcomes and assessment. The guide is structured according to the beliefs that students need models, revision is the key to successful writing, writing is a tool for demonstrating learning, and writing is…

This self-instructional manual was developed in Australia for people who would like to learn about the writing process. about it. It provides an introduction to the key features of four kinds of texts, covering: (1) "Writing for Yourself"--keeping a journal and "what" to write in it; (2) writing to communicate with others; (3)…

Intended for both beginning teachers and experienced teachers, this book offers a detailed plan for organizing a successful writing classroom. The book presents teachers with many new approaches for interacting with students and their writing. Following a foreword by Russ M. Burkhardt and an introduction chapters in the book are: (1) The Ten-Day…

This book offers high school and college teachers both a philosophy of composition instruction and an immediately useful set of classroom-tested teaching ideas distilled from the author's 28 years of teaching writing. Throughout the book, two aims underlie all others: (1) to tap every student's inborn ability to think extensively and well; and (2)…

This paper discusses a pilot project in progress at Mantua Elementary School in Fairfax, Virginia begun on September 1, 1999 to develop, improve, and extend the school's current system of evaluating the effects of educational technology on student learning. The following sections are included: Purpose of the Project; Drawing upon the…

This book examines the experiences of four Mexican children in American middle schools struggling to learn English. It discusses policy and instructional dilemmas surrounding English language education for immigrant children. Using analysis of the children's oral and written language and examination of their classrooms, schools, and communities,…

This collection of 45 lesson plans contributed by English language arts scholars and practitioners provides activities that have been tested and proven effective with all levels of learners in middle school and high school classrooms. The activities in the collection advocate using unconventional strategies, competitive games, art and multimedia,…

This instructor's edition of a vocabulary textbook for college students, who read at the fifth to eighth grade level, features 25 chapters and teaches 250 basic words. The first and third chapters in each unit contain word-part practices. The second and fourth chapters in each unit contain synonym-antonym practices. The book's last chapter in each…

This paper presents, in tabular format, the Language Arts standards of the Georgia Quality Core Curriculum. The first column lists the strand number, the second column presents the content standard, the next column lists the topic (listening, speaking, grammar, writing, literature, etc.), the next column notes the concept covered by the standard,…

The wealth of information available on the Web affords teachers and learners access to language learning resources like never before. Online journals, listservs, newspapers, and magazines provide authentic material for language learners, while teachers can find lesson plans and ideas, exercises, assessment tools, and other materials for use in…

This study examined Norwegian seventh graders' English writing, investigating how close their writing in English was to their writing in Norwegian and how levels of performance in second language writing were linked to broader issues (curriculum guidelines, extensive reading, contact time with the target language, and teacher qualifications).…