Reports how teachers use magazines in their classrooms to supplement state adopted textbooks. Provides a comprehensive list of specialized magazines in three content areas. Describes student activities such as comparing articles on the same topic from different magazines, and reading and evaluating articles with opposing views. (RS)

Reports the results of a study that used a questionnaire to determine science teachers' attitudes about the differences between the written work of female and male students, whether these differences could be generalized, and the specific features that science teachers associated with the written work of females and males. (KO)

Asserts that sculpture and video represent two opposing metaphors for writing: continuity and stasis, and dynamic discontinuities. Sketches the histories of sculpture and video, and examines the mental habits associated with these histories. Stresses the need to explore how the culture's dominant media influences what students read and write.(MG)

Argues the importance of dictated stories, with the teacher or other adult as scribe, in children's development as writers. Examines one child's literary influences and her literacy development. (MG)

This article reviews the literature regarding the seeds of literacy in preschool students. Conclusions indicate that children learn many basic concepts of print communication from daily experience with its use well before any ability to decode writing emerges. Games and other everyday interactions with print are recommended for facilitating…

Two college-able learning-disabled writers' social and cognitive profiles and the sense of audience in their written texts are examined. The students' deficits (visual and organizational cognitive processing, and oral language comprehension/production) affected their writing, and the quality of their audience awareness was related to the nature of…

Investigates eighth-graders' summarizations of a scientific article used in their science class. Presents an analytic coding system developed to describe and detail structural and semantic strengths and weaknesses of students' expository summary essays. (SR)

Qualitatively examines the problems and successes of first- and second-grade children as they were introduced to word processors. Finds that the problems encountered were neither lasting enough, nor insurmountable enough to recommend not introducing children to word processors. (RS)

Assessment of the English writing proficiency of 23 native French speaking students on 3 composition tasks found variance in the qualities of written texts and problem-solving behaviors. Writing expertise was found to affect discourse organization and content, writing complexity, heuristic strategies, and control strategies, while second-language…

Explains how computers can offer learners powerful assistance in their acquisition of certain visual thinking skills. Describes the limitations and potential of using computers as tools for visual thinking with links to creative writing activities in a fourth-grade class. (MM)

Describes an interdisciplinary assignment involving biology and English in an introductory-level course. Presents information on a general description of the assignment, a workshop on plagiarism and organization, and evaluation. Cites six points that must be stressed in a discussion of paraphrasing. (RT)

Presents a group of 31 innovative language arts activities from teachers nationwide designed to inspire elementary students to become eager writers and editors. The article is part of a package of 100 creative ideas for keeping students enthused about learning in language arts, science, math, and social studies. (SM)

The effects of presenting a choice of writing tasks on the quality of essays produced by eleventh graders were studied with 34,200 students in Georgia. The choice condition had no substantive effect on the quality of essays, but race, gender, and the writing task variable did. (SLD)

Describes a study of the effectiveness of using a content analysis-based approach for teaching developmental students to summarize texts. Indicates that developmental students can be taught to understand top-level structure and use this knowledge when constructing summaries. Suggests that students can be taught in cost-effective, group situations.…

This paper reviews the popular myths and facts about handwriting instruction and handwriting difficulties, examining two of the most common problems leading to difficulties with handwriting (dyslexia and dysgraphia). The paper also provides suggestions for helping students with handwriting difficulties. (SM)