Tips for writing more effective case studies are (1) writing them in the form of a story; (2) giving the characters names; (3) using dialogue and realistic details; (4) describing vividly; (5) making the flow easy to follow; and (6) giving all necessary information but leaving enough mystery to maintain interest. (SK)

Argues that a workable definition of transitions must take into account not only the word's meaning but also the writer's intentions and the way a transition changes depending on placement and function. Explores a group of transition words related to the idea of summary. (TB)

Letters of recommendation for students are never easy to write. All faculty feel charged with telling the truth, but they also feel compelled to go over the top far enough that the student won't seem damned with faint praise. And, as with grade point averages, the top gets higher every year. Is it possible to write too positive a letter anymore?…

These two recipients of this year's Alan C. Purves Award reflect on their work (reported in "RTE" Vol. 41, No. 3, pp. 269-303) on "A Cognitive Strategies Approach to Reading and Writing Instruction for English Language Learners in Secondary School" and the lessons they learned from their original research study as they tried to…

This practical resource provides 40 research-based, classroom tested, and developmentally appropriate minilessons for kindergarten through grade 3--presented in the context of authentic writing experiences. Teachers can use these lessons to teach students how to: (1) Generate and organize ideas before writing, and then turn their prewriting ideas…

The goal of this article is to explore the effects of professional development on middle school teachers' understanding and application of literacy strategies supporting and enhancing instruction across the curriculum. This study investigated the extent to which reading and writing strategies, along with sound instructional design, were…

While writer's workshop provides a nurturing environment for many students, others struggle with the independence it gives. This may be due to the difficulty of coordinating the cognitive and self-regulatory demands of the writing process. Self-regulation refers to thoughts, feelings, and actions that individuals use to attain personal goals.…

The individualized family service plan (IFSP) is the cornerstone document that guides supports for infants and toddlers receiving early intervention through Part C of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The outcomes included on the IFSP reflect what everyone in the child's life values as important for the child right now. The…

Samples of formal business reports and business memos were obtained from MBA students in multiple disciplines. The samples were analyzed in terms of their relative cohesion, concreteness of wording, causal relationships, intentional referencing, and readability. A classification function based on these measures was then used to identify entering…

Provides step-by-step directions for various creative writing strategies for teachers to use with their students. Illustrates each strategy: the sneak attack; the poetry cafe; videotaping a poem; and choral reading and coloring meaning. (PA)

Offers a narrative in the form of five confessions the author's life. Contends that writing from memory can be pedagogic and political. Concludes that writing what was witnessed is to testify to what is remembered, so that it cannot be forgotten. (PM)

Offers a modest new taxonomy for rhetorical heuristics for arrangement, one of the five major divisions of classical rhetoric. Suggests schemes suitable for academic discourse, such as "obvious before remarkable,""literal before symbolic," and "explanation before complication." Supplies a limited theoretical context…

Argues for a theoretical distinction between the act of composing and the act of transcribing. Examines early writing sessions and note-making patterns of writers working with traditional and computer writing tools. Finds individual writers have distinctly different strategies when writing in different technological contexts. (KEH)

Discusses collaborative design in the context of developing a "Toolbook" hypertext intended to introduce graduate students to the fields of rhetoric and professional communication. Examines the new grammar and rhetoric of hypertext, discusses the importance of document planning within an emergent design, and argues for a functional aesthetic. (SR)

Discusses how to get started in hypermedia, offering a springboard for beginning hyperdocument developers. Argues that the key is to transfer the familiar to the unfamiliar by adapting paper-document writing processes and by applying the appropriate, familiar page-design principles. (SR)