Through focusing on the genre of informational reports, two dilemmas of genre teaching are explored: (1) a teaching dilemma about how to help students achieve flexible writing competencies through a combination of immersion in text exemplars and instruction in text features; and (2) a curriculum dilemma about how to combine the goals of…

A framework for student Internet writing projects is proposed that consists of learning outcome goals and component activities. The framework is intended to be useful when designing and developing Internet writing projects and when evaluating student outcomes. Six learning goals are outlined: (1) engagement; (2) consideration of purpose and…

A program developed interventions for improving student writing in the areas of technique and creativity. The targeted population consisted of students in the first through fourth grades in three different school sites, all being similar upper-middle class communities, located in the suburbs of a mid-western city. The problems that some students…

This curriculum guide is the result of stories that students in workplace education classes have created in class and chosen to publish. The learners for whom this curriculum is designed are adult students voluntarily enrolled in a workplace education class in which the focus is literacy or basic skills training. Contents include the following:…

A framework is presented for syllabus design in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction. A case is given for a discourse level focus in the ESL classroom, from beginning stages of learning through advanced levels. Following this, three rhetorical modes (critical analysis of fiction, truth-searching logical conversation, and classical…

This project report explores the potential of using the strategies and methods of the Reading Recovery Program to teach adult nonreaders. The following assessment procedures assist the tutor in determining the student's reading level: letter identification, reading vocabulary, concepts about print, writing vocabulary, dictation, and text reading.…

This handbook is one of a series developed in response to requests to provide schools with additional information concerning the written composition portion of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS). The handbook focuses on grades 3 through 5. Following an introduction, the handbook is in two parts. Part 1 contains general information on…

This document consists of the four issues of a newsletter entitled "Literacy Across the Curriculum" issued during 1990. The newsletter covers articles on classroom and other topical issues, resources, and conferences and announcements related to language for learning. The following topics are discussed in volume 6: analyzing…

This document, developed by Mercer County Community College (New Jersey) and its partners, offers lists of topics covered in each day of a 24-day course designed to teach General Motors employees the following skills: document information; write clear directions and instructions; outline and organize thoughts and ideas; write memos and business…

This practicum report describes a 12-week intervention to enhance the journal writing skills of six students in a second grade class. Expected outcomes were that all students will: (1) improve journal writing skills as measured by the Holistic Scoring Checklist; (2) show a 100 percent increase in the number of words used in journal writing; and…

In fall 1993, Golden West College (GWC), in California, participated in a large-scale study coordinated by Computerized Assessment and Placement Programs (CAPP) to gather evidence supportive of the College Board Assessment and Placement Services (APS) tests. The study focused on gathering instructor ratings of student preparedness levels in a…

This paper describes a paraphrasing activity devised to assist English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) graduate students at Ohio State University develop their academic writing skills. The activity is based on the community language learning approach. The students in the class were divided into groups of three, with each group member in turn assigned…

This annotated bibliography includes about 170 citations of dissertations, articles, papers, and other studies concerning the development of writing skills in non-native English-speakers. The works cited are based on the collection and analysis of data, and do not include articles describing or prescribing pedagogical approaches or curricula.…

Inspired by the researcher's interest in the subject, but also in response to state-mandated assessment, Virginia Military Institute (VMI) initiated a pilot program to evaluate the portfolio method of teaching writing. Half of VMI's English department used the portfolio approach, while the other half applied other teaching methods. Prior research…

Findings of a 1989 national survey of the functional reading, writing, and numeracy skills of Canada's adult population are reported. The survey population was a representative sample of 9,500 individuals aged 16-69. Three questionnaires gathered information on socio-demographic and educational background, screened out individuals with very low…