Describes a project in an English-as-a-Second-Language classroom in which 18 students from 10 cultures drew cartoons of their personal writing processes, giving the teacher insight into individual differences that allowed her to tailor writing instruction to student needs. (SR)

Suggests topics and assignments to elicit real, authentic, and expressive student writing. Such "real writing" tasks ask students to look inside themselves and to write genuine responses and about actual feelings and beliefs. (TM)

Reports on a study of 78 letters of recommendation for a higher education teaching position comparing letters written by women and men. Finds that the letters are written differently and vary by the applicant's gender. Also finds that women are much more likely than men to describe collegiality than intellect. (CFR)

Discusses the challenge and justification for three writing instruction methods: (1) a regularly scheduled block of time for writing; (2) self-selection of topics by students; and (3) writing across the curriculum. Emphasizes the importance of creating a classroom environment and processes that nurture in students the desire to write. (TJQ)

Presents an overview of third-grade bilingual students and their literacy curriculum. Discusses a series of instructional lessons ("strategy wall charts") developed to provide the students with various tools to work their way through literacy blocks as they read and wrote in English. Looks at patterns of internalization that occurred when the…

A process approach to writing instruction for students with learning disabilities is presented. The approach involves students sharing their work with each other, receiving frequent response to their writing, using word processing to support fluent text production and ease revision, conferencing with teachers to develop writing strategies, and…

This article presents a three-stage writing process designed to enhance the writing skills of gifted students, increase their engagement in the subject matter, and provide a greater degree of understanding of the content area. The stages are referred to as prewriting, writing, and rewriting. (JDD)

Asserts that role-playing peer-response groups provide effective feedback and help students develop a sense of the characteristics of a particular audience. Illustrates with a sample lesson (a college application essay) by outlining five steps of the process. Offers other uses of the role-playing peer-response groups method. (PRA)

Asserts that autobiographical writing empowers community college students to create public voices and meet personal and professional goals while enlightening instructors about the effectiveness of teaching methods. Discusses journal writing as self-teaching, student responses to existing autobiographical models, the influence of peer audience on…

Investigates the writing attitudes and text editing skills of students with considerable experience using word-processing systems toward word processing for different phases of the writing process. Finds the students are poor at text editing and typing. Finds that the students prefer paper and pencil for composing first drafts and prefer word…

A writing instructor describes her experience teaching 15 San Quentin Prison inmates how to write fiction, revise their work, and submit it for publication. Inmates were polite, demanded advice on mechanics, and avoided writing about reasons for life sentences. Insights later emerged in stories. (MLH)

Compares writing an article to the steps in a lesson plan, discussing 7 components of lesson plans and arguing that the same steps can be used to produce a well-written article. (SR)

Eighty-five preservice-education students observed a science experiment concerning either buoyancy or the forces acting on a stationary object, then wrote a series of explanations. Results suggest that students' use of rhetorical structures (explanation, comparison, argumentation, and summarization) stimulated construction of new knowledge, but…

Describes the benefits of technology in special education and the use of electronic mail as an instructional strategy. Highlights the use of electronic mail by a student with Down syndrome to learn communication, reading, and written expression skills. Recommendations for using technology in the classroom are provided. (CR)

A study involving 106 elementary and secondary students with learning disabilities and 97 typical peers found that students who used spelling and grammar checkers were more successful than transition group students in reducing mechanical errors, particularly non-real-word spelling errors, and in making positive changes from first to final drafts.…