In a high school writing class of eight students, a computer was used as a word processor to permit close observation of students as they learned. The class was studied using ethnographic techniques: videotape, audiotape, teacher/researcher journals, student writing, and interviews. Three types of learners emerged: marginal--those who had…

Drawn from a conference that addressed the role of sentence combining in the teaching of writing, the papers in this collection are divided into three sections: the theory of sentence combining, research in sentence combining, and sentence combining in the classroom. The 22 papers discuss a variety of topics, including the following: (1) sentence…

The first of two volumes, this English curriculum guide for grades 7-12 is part of a comprehensive curriculum plan for grades K-12. It describes the cognitive content that should receive instructional emphasis at each grade through a scope and sequence chart and a statement of student outcomes--descriptions of skills and concepts that students…

The second of two volumes, this English curriculum guide for honors and elective courses for grades 10-12 is part of a comprehensive curriculum plan for grades K-12. The courses include honors English, grades 10 and 12; a college preparatory grade 12 class taught in conjunction with a community college; journalism, grades 10-12; basic composition,…

Acknowledging that basic skills instructors must deal with the affective characteristics of developmental students, this paper describes factors to consider for creating an environment in which developmental students can improve their learning skills. The first section of the paper discusses ways to meet emotional needs when planning a pretest for…

A statewide sample testing of writing skills in the fourth, seventh, and tenth grades was conducted by the Michigan Educational Assessment Program in the fall of 1982. This report, which shares the writing assessment information (historical, descriptive, and interpretive) for educational decision-making, was prepared in the hope of increasing…

Intended for use by literacy workers, teacher trainers, and program developers and directors, this annotated bibliography brings together the most current writings about adult literacy education available in journals, books, and ERIC documents. The entries are arranged into five sections: (1) the state of adult literacy, both in the United States…

This collection of adult student writing is the product of a literacy education project in Pennsylvania. Contributors to the volume were adult students in Adult Basic Education (ABE), General Education Development (GED), English as a Second Language (ESL), and basic literacy classes. The adults who participated in this writing project were…

Drawing on the experiences of teachers of writing in elementary through junior high schools, the teaching strategies presented in this collection are grouped into four sections: prewriting, drafting, editing and publishing, and systems. Topics covered in the prewriting section include listening skills; thinking, speaking, and writing;…

Intended for use by teachers at both elementary and secondary school levels, this booklet is designed to provide suggestions and writing activities that can promote positive self-concepts. Among the topics discussed in the booklet's various sections are the following: (1) teacher attitude; (2) things to consider when planning and carrying out…

The teaching activities presented in this compilation of columns from the journal "Live Wire" focus on integrating the arts with language. The selections describe (1) the concept of "framing" in art and in writing; (2) using folktale pantomimes as inspirations for writing; (3) using literature response sheets (samples included) to respond to the…

Designing a curriculum to introduce freshman composition students to computer assisted composition involves the cooperation of the composition instructor and the writing center director. One college has developed such a curriculum using the "Milliken Word Processor" (Milliken Publishing Company), a simple program with a variety of…

Diagnostic teaching should be considered a two-step operation: the first half is skills assessment while the second half is related basic skills instruction. As part of the basic skills instruction, the students should be taught to be aware of certain features of the text itself when reading or writing: identification of topic, formats,…

Music can be an effective motivational vehicle for teaching listening skills, literature, oral and nonverbal communication, creative writing, handwriting, spelling, and grammar. One idea for integrating music into the language arts involves the use of song lyrics as reading materials. Since contemporary country music, and its precursor folk music,…

Many teachers not trained in English as a second language (ESL) often feel at a disadvantage when they are working with children whose first language is not English. This book addresses this disadvantage by giving practical information and teaching aids. The first area investigated is registration. Questions are suggested and the use to which…