Analyzed matched writing samples of 100 native Arabic speakers' writing on writing for science and technology (WST) topics in English and Arabic. Findings indicate that, though students have studied English-as-a-foreign-language writing for 8 years, and are judged to be good at the mechanics and lexis and grammar, they still have trouble with WST…

Discusses the use of storytelling by teachers and librarians to promote reading. Topics include folktales; communication through story; oral traditions; learning through story; impact on reading, comprehension, and composition skills; telling/listening interaction; storytelling as a leadership skill; and story and inquiry or discovery learning.…

A Chinese English-as-a-foreign-language learner in Taiwan was tutored online by two American preservice teachers. Discourse patterns in the student's essays were perceived very differently by the preservice teachers and the student's Taiwanese instructor. Deeper psycholinguistic analysis revealed connections between the student's linguistic…

Describes an English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) freshman composition course in which students read a mystery novel, "The Alienist," and researched and wrote about its historical setting. Reactions to the course are described by the students, who were experiencing content-based instruction for the first time. Activities applicable to…

Explores the implicit boundaries on topic choice established by early proponents of writing process pedagogy and traces these boundaries to a widespread cultural concern about the disappearance of a pretechnological form of childhood. Urges a dialogic view of writing that acknowledges the positive contribution children's media affiliations can…

This article argues for adolescent literacy specialists to take a stand against current trends for improving adolescent literacy with simplistic solutions such as high-stakes assessments coupled with teacher bonuses for improved test scores. Professionals need to create their own visions about ways to improve adolescent literacy--and make their…

Presents tips on improving the writing process of students with learning disabilities (LD). Information on a literacy intervention curriculum for students with LD; Impact of the strategy on the sentence writing skills of students; Process of the curriculum with its corresponding modifications; Benefits of the writing instruction program to improve…

Following the publication of an article summarising two systematic reviews on whether the teaching of grammar is effective in improving 5-16 year olds' writing (Andrews et al, 2006), the present article reflects on the relationship between knowledge about language and knowledge about grammar. It argues that there is no evidence for the assumption…

Involving graduate teaching assistants (GAs) in the development and implementation of rubrics has many benefits. GA involvement increases their sense of ownership of the rubrics and makes it more likely that they will regard the rubrics in a positive light. GAs have insights about the students whose work will be evaluated by the rubrics; and, as…

Sentence-level writing errors seem immune to many of the feedback forms devised over the years, apart from the slow accumulation of examples from the environment itself, which second language (L2) learners gradually notice and use to varying degrees. A computer corpus and concordance could provide these examples in less time and more noticeable…

Writing is a valuable learning tool in science classrooms. Written work provides an instructor with a tangible demonstration of learning and gives students the opportunity to connect their personal experiences to the content of the course. Most important, thoughtful writing assignments demand deep analysis of subject material and help students…

How realistic are high school students' educational aspirations? Reviewing the findings of the High School Survey of Student Engagement, Ms. McCarthy and Mr. Kuh note a troubling mismatch between the academic habits of many high school students and what will be expected of them in college. (Contains 1 figure and 19 endnotes.)

People are often driven to become "independent" as part of the desire to go out on their own. Independent evaluation consultants, however, frequently collaborate with others on evaluation projects. This chapter explores such collaborative relationships from both sides: those leading evaluations with subcontracted consultants and those who work as…

The job of the early childhood director requires becoming comfortable in performing a wide variety of tasks. Being a director demands skills in many different areas, as well as the ability to focus one's attention in many directions at once. This is the broad description of the director's job, but very little attention has been focused on the…

Seven-year-olds who had difficulty understanding 1st-grade work received one of two forms of small-group instruction. Half of the children were randomly assigned to receive four months of instruction in recognizing, comprehending, and reproducing both logical and arbitrary patterns (sequences) involving numbers, letters, shapes, colors,…