Investigates writing skills learned in a low socioeconomic status, urban, primary, whole-language classroom. Finds that the children became more fluent writers who used more complex sentences, but the surface level skills used for some purposes did not become automatic. Suggests that some children need more opportunities for editing and…

A review of the literature on writing block looks at two kinds: inability to write in a timely, fluent fashion, and reluctance by academicians to assist others in writing. Obstacles to fluent writing are outlined, four historical trends in treating blocks are discussed, and implications are examined. (MSE)

Provides practical, research-based suggestions for improving reading and writing skills of college science students. Describes characteristics of skilled science readers. Explains how to select reading materials that make sense and what teachers can do to improve reading assignments. Lists traits of skilled science readers and offers suggestions…

Minilessons on two writing skills (use of adverbial phrases and possessives) were taught during whole group instruction in mainstream settings which included four sixth grade students with learning disabilities. Increases in the taught skills for three of the four students suggested the effectiveness of the minilesson approach. (DB)

Researchers examined the effect of writing in response to simple and complex pictures on students' narrative writing. Findings indicated that fourth graders use different composing behavior and produce different written products than do sixth graders, writing more coherently/cohesively for complex than for simple tasks. (SM)

This article uses two case studies of eighth grade students (one attending an Amish school and the other in a residential school for adjudicated juveniles) to illustrate the power of ethnography to contextualize literacy experiences. Five ethnographic questions are suggested for literacy assessment. (DB)

Describes a student research project in a business communication course in which student researchers practice a wide variety of communication skills (oral communication, research, writing, and professional writing skills) as they manipulate their collected data into a persuasive report. (SR)

Reviews research on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator's (MBTI's) use in personalizing the basic writing curriculum. Describes an MBTI-based study of personality and writing performance in a basic writing class. Identifies ways MBTI results can inform teacher feedback and the use of prewriting, small groups, computers, and essay tests. (DMM)

Describes a publication project (the Chukchi News and Information Service) that builds self-esteem and writing skills of minority students in rural Alaska. Outlines the methods for carrying out the project. Argues that such a project enhances student writing by framing it as a form of student "performance." (HB)

Describes how a sixth-grade teacher turned sluggish Friday afternoons into student writing workshops. Students wrote essays on topics of their own choosing, exchanged papers with classmates to correct spelling and grammar, and provided each other with suggestions to improve the essays. Over the course of the school year, student writing improved…

This paper examines typical problems that students of English as a Second Language (ESL) have in expository writing, namely those involving classification criteria and hierarchical categories. It also provides a set of guidelines for the practice of classification skills as well as specific classification exercises. (18 references) (MDM)

Applies theoretical reasoning concerning transitional knowledge to a problem in literacy development. Examines a longitudinal data set composed of 46 children each of whom completed 6 stories over a 2-year period. Suggests that detecting children who are in transition for emergent to conventional literacy has critical implications for classroom…

Provided are tips on note taking for students. Suggestions for changing instruction designed to aid students in their note taking are discussed. (CW)

Employs a cognitive discourse analysis to analyze instructions for using a word processor written by eighth grade students. Analyzes text structure to specify underlying semantic and conceptual knowledge structures. Finds that written instructions produced by the students were deficient in content information and did not parallel the hierarchical…

Describes how to use portfolios to track elementary students' reading and writing progress, offering teacher-to-teacher tips on the most effective use of portfolios in the classroom. The article discusses student self-evaluation through portfolios, reading- and writing-portfolio conferences, and teachers as learners. (SM)