Discusses the characteristics of a nurturing and of a constraining classroom environment and the effects of each on children's learning to write. (HTH)

Elements of the legal writing program are presented and discussed: goals, structure, assignments, instructional method, and program problems (credit hours, faculty-student relationship, grading by tutors, competition for library resources, low level of basic student skills). Available from Union University, 80 Scotland Ave., Albany, NY 12208;…

Reviews studies that explore the nature of the relationships between reading and writing and that suggest the influence of writing on word recognition, reading comprehension, and reading motivation. Offers six recommendations for classroom instruction based on the available information about the reading/writing relationship. (GT)

The purpose of assigning writing that will not be formally graded is to assist students in learning subject matter and to create a classroom context that encourages active learning and interactive teaching. Offers three examples of college-level writing-to-learn assignments used in various disciplines, and some ways teachers can respond to such…

Electronic dialogues tend to be rapid, informal, and public. When college teachers use computer technology to respond to student writing, they have an opportunity to rethink and reinvent the ways in which they teach and by which students learn. Despite some new concerns and problems, this mode of communicating does not evoke the same response that…

Presents a procedure for making the process of writing business letters concrete, to foment development and success in second-language writing classrooms. Attention is focused on how to demystify business writing so that international students can enjoy real learning and real successes in English-as-a-Second-Language classrooms. (Auth/JL)

Student journals contribute to service-learning by focusing student attention on elements of community service and providing an opportunity for reflection. A project in which upper-class college students mentored children in an urban school system illustrates how journal entries help students document observations, question, speculate, develop…

Explores teachers' perceptions about computer use in writing instruction. Topics include emerging computer technology, including telecommunications and hypermedia; evolution of software, including word processing, desktop publishing, and multimedia; issues related to implementing technology, including the teacher's role; and suggested learning…

Outlines the most important 20th century developments in reading instruction for young children, analyzing why an approach was tried, and presenting results of these instructional efforts. It is concluded that the current perspective that seems to meet the needs of most children is that of emergent literacy. (SLD)

This article presents insights from teachers nationwide who have experimented with writing workshops, describing what they see as the essential elements to their success (setting the tone, teacher-student and student-student communication, reflective thinking, high expectations, modeling from favorite authors, and working hard). Software, classic…

Lesson study helps teachers use collaborative peer insight and feedback about student responses to instruction to develop high quality lessons. Combining lesson study with collaborative action research, Ohio middle school teachers developed exemplar lessons in the four-column writing method and found that the method significantly improved…

Seven classroom projects that motivate student writing in Northwest schools are described. The projects vary in grade level. Themes include local history, fairy tales, "Flat Stanley" exchange students, student book publishing, art, poetry, and science. Common practices include having students write about local and personally meaningful…

The "6+1" model of writing assessment, which identifies six traits of good writing, is applicable to any language. In an Anchorage (Alaska) elementary school with a high proportion of English language learners, homeless children, and other disadvantaged youth, the model helps students write about their own ideas and experiences, thereby…

Analyzes a case of a struggling student writer who was not helped by good classroom techniques. Proposes that for educators to help struggling writers, they need to focus on both the student and the activity system within which the student works. Concludes that educators need to take account of: teachers' and children's ideas; organization for…

Presents information learned from the planning and implementation of a Writer's Academy. Describes structures for writing as well as six useful lessons learned pertaining to: (1) teacher conferences; (2) peer conferences; (3) exploring the world; (4) writing with students; (5) valuing the process and the product to address national standards; and…