Designed primarily for the middle-level literacy worker, this monograph is intended for use as a training manual in preparing literacy teachers. The book is a general introduction to linguistics that discusses the following topics: defining the scope of linguistics, choosing the language for literacy, developing a written language, producing…

This program includes an extensive series of learning activities designed to improve students' skills in many areas of English, including expository and creative writing, literature appreciation, vocabulary, listening and speaking, research, and reading. Each activity sheet indicates the subject of the activity, its classification, the number of…

In this paper, English teachers are urged to assist slow learners to discover their hidden potential. The paper deals with a wide range of topics, including the importance of early language arts experiences; ideas for developing a love of literature in all students; the value of having high expectations for all students; techniques for developing…

Basic skills programs are now almost a given in the curricula of postsecondary institutions; however, the key area of concern of basic skills researchers is, Are they working? The answer is two fold: yes, those involved in and committed to the programs are working very hard, and no, the programs themselves are not working very well. There is a…

In 1974, as part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) survey in writing, 4,600 17-year-old high school students were asked to write an essay defending their position on women's place in the home. About half responded that it should be a women's choice whether to be a homemaker, career woman, or both. About twenty percent said…

The purpose, development, administration, and scoring of the Educational Research Institute of British Columbia's (ERIBC) English Placement Test (EPT) are described. This test was designed to assist in the placement of entering college students into the appropriate courses of English usage and composition; it was not intended to be a criterion for…

More than 100 individual and group activities, learning center ideas, and bulletin board suggestions are offered in this handbook for developing the writing skills of second, third, and fourth grade students. An analysis chart is provided as a diagnostic tool for determining the writing strengths and weaknesses of students. The activities are…

A student's belief in the value of literacy is essential to effective teaching and successful learning, but can result only from a local culture whose aim is to produce literacy. The social identity and cultural norms of the young are registered in their use of language, and if literacy, as defined by others, calls the norms and identity into…

The first of a two-volume final report, this document focuses on a study of written language growth and development among 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-year old children. The first section of the document contains five essays dealing with race, sex, age, socioeconomic status, and language; orchestrating the literacy event; reading and writing as…

Prepared as part of a project designed to provide an objectively measured indication of the quality of student writing in one school district, this paper presents analyses of the syntactic complexity of the argumentative and narrative writing of more than 500 seventh and eighth grade students and of the mechanical errors found in that writing.…

The identification of critical writing skills was the first step in a project designed to specify language skills that should be included in instruments for assessing students' entry into and exit from bilingual classrooms. Writing skills were screened according to three criteria: appearance on state or local competency lists, textbook emphasis,…

Perceptions of a sample of professors at Indiana University concerning the competencies of freshman students in the basic skills of reading, writing, mathematics, and study skills were investigated. Interviews were conducted with 77 professors who teach lower division courses. Results were tabulated for the total group and separately for the three…

The 42 papers in this volume discuss a variety of technical writing topics. The following are some of these topics: (1) industry's views on new directions in technical communication, and the technical writing skills that industry needs; (2) an interdisciplinary approach to teaching technical report writing in the community college; (3) designing…

A curriculum is presented as part of a plan for improvinq English language instruction in secondary schools in Nigeria. The current status of English in Nigeria is viewed as ambiguous: the importance of English as a lingua franca and official language is contrasted with the neglect of English instruction and the failure to upgrade language…

Described are over 70 activities designed to help students develop writing skills by examining energy issues. Intended for middle school students, the lessons were developed by Hardee County, Florida teachers. Learning strategies employed include class discussions, analogies, word puzzles, letter writing, sentence completions, vocabulary building…