Describes a teacher's experiments with improving students' writing in the geography classroom using peer editing exercises. Discusses the development and gives examples of the editing exercises and style sheets. Briefly reviews the theory of audience-centered communication. (MJP)

Describes a unit for the first grade that takes advantage of the fall seasonal changes to explore, be creative, and learn. Ties all the subject areas together through a look at leaves and trees. A list of resources is included. (JRH)

Investigated relation of the quality of third graders' writing assignments and written instructor feedback to quality of subsequent student work. Found that amount and type of teacher feedback predicted a small, significant proportion of variance in the quality of content, organization, and mechanics of final drafts. Initial writing quality…

Examines the influence of reading experience on spelling skill development. Sixth graders, good at both skills, consistently outscored their peers. Good readers but poor spellers did not differ from those poor at both skills on measures involving sound-spelling, orthographic and visual information, but outperformed the latter when use of…

Studies Inuktitut and English writing proficiencies with elementary students. Finds native language fluency increases at the expense of polysynthetic complexity as students progress through school. Explores the search for linguistic and cultural bridges in Canadian native and minority situations as a more considered approach to vernacular…

Reviews some of the author's own mistakes and successes to help guide other writers and teachers interested in projects in which they collaborate with a visual artist to improve students' writing skills and visual art ability. (MG)

Analyzes the proposal-writing environment, the characteristics of proposals, and the practices of seven engineers at a Silicon Valley engineering firm that does government defense work. Finds that engineers write proposals collaboratively and have a highly structured composing process. Describes how the firm's Proposal Writing Center dramatically…

Examines the impact of multiple skills assistance on preservice teachers preparing for standardized tests. Finds significant gains in reading, mathematics, and writing skills. Demonstrates that a single comprehensive skills laboratory operated by a differentiated staff is a sensible method of procuring appropriate intervention for future teachers.…

Summarizes key insights from the author's studies of literacy. Makes three recommendations which are designed to explore curriculum as a potential for language learning. (MG)

Seventy-five Dutch elementary school students wrote letters of a cursive alphabet after presentation of printed and cursive letters. Analysis revealed that spatial ambiguity, allographic variability, contextual ambiguity, and letter frequency are determinants of the time needed by children for perceiving printed and producing corresponding cursive…

Describes a program of distance tutoring developed by Apple Computer, Inc., Memphis City Schools, and Memphis State University for at-risk minority students. The electronic bulletin board system (BBS) used is described; types of distance learning systems are explained; and research outcomes are discussed, including tutor roles and writing skills.…

The similarity of information provided by direct and indirect methods of writing assessment was investigated using 219 tenth graders. A resulting cognitive model of writing skills indicates that practitioners interested in reliably measuring all aspects of the proposed writing process continuum use both direct and indirect methods. (TJH)

Describes the use of "Happy Hands" instructional materials and techniques for grades K-3 develop keyboarding knowledge and skills for computer-assisted instruction. Color coding techniques are explained; the use of dictation is discussed; keyboarding games and software are described; and the development of writing skills through…

Describes the "Parents as Partners" program, a partnership between parochial and public schools, which provides parents and adult relatives with English reading and writing instruction so that they may assist their children in school. Indicates that the program's attrition and attendance rates compare favorably with other literacy…

Focuses on the textual revisions involved in the creation of "successful" scientific research articles by nonnative novice researchers. A linguistic framework of text analysis and interpretive commentary show how the hard, norm-developing processes of interaction between inexperienced novice and expert writers in the scientific discourse…