Ten six- and seven-year-old British children were chosen for case study investigation of the importance of children's interactions with each other and with their teacher in launching writing through sustained speech. The school was identified by educational experts as one of the "progressive" or "informal" variety, where…

As part of the evaluation of the Bay Area Writing Project (BAWP), two field studies were conducted to analayze the effects of BAWP training at the school district level. In one field study, three school districts were examined to explore the conditions and context for BAWP training and to identify the resulting impact on school district programs.…

A study was undertaken to determine (1) whether community college freshmen who perceive certain structural considerations in their reading can generate essays that show application of those considerations, and (2) whether there are significant differences in the writing achievement of "more able" and "less able" students. The experimental group…

RESEARCH IN WHICH BEHAVIOR THEORY WAS APPLIED TO TEACHING READING, WRITING, AND ARITHMETIC TO RETARDED CHILDREN IS REPORTED. TWENTY- SEVEN EDUCABLY RETARDED CHILDREN PARTICIPATED IN THE CORE GROUP. THE MEAN MENTAL AGE WAS 11 YEARS AND THE MEAN IQ WAS 63. IN AN EXPERIMENTAL ENVIRONMENT OF APPROVAL, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND TOKEN REINFORCEMENT, A…

The purpose of this study was to test the teachability of creativity. An experimental design (including pretesting and posttesting, control and experimental groups, and a teaching unit) was used to test the general hypothesis that creativity can be enhanced by the treatment of a teaching unit using audio-visual materials. The subjects were 101…

Discusses ways in which talk during writing and group discussion can help children's writing, including (1) helping teachers learn to listen, (2) teaching children to elaborate and clarify, (3) giving children experience with an audience and reasons for writing, (4) helping children gather ideas and assistance, and (5) teaching children to be…

Presents reading/writing units based on story grammar techniques and intended for students in grades one through six. (FL)

Explains how word processing can make it easy for students to adapt and improve text until they are happy with the results. Offers an example of word processing in action. (FL)

Describes how four teachers use reading as an integral part of their writing instruction. (SRT)

Declares the need to train teachers to use computers in reading and language arts and describes a training program used with undergraduate education majors at the State University of New York at Geneseo. (SRT)

Reviews five books by James Moffett, discussing ways these practical applications of his development theory can be adopted as a course, a program, or a curriculum. Presents Moffett's work as a holistic integrated arts approach that offers a "real writing" alternative to such external controls as standardized tests, formalized writing…

Discusses problems of writing introductions in light of the theories of H. P. Grice, C. Altieri, K. Burke, and Aristotle, illustrated with scientific writing, rhetorical criticism, and student letters and essays. Approaches the introduction as text both about subject matter and about the intended reader, situation invoked, and writer's own…

Presents elementary school children's poetry about a variety of scientific topics. Indicates that children make no false dichotomy between science and poetry. (JK)

Two articles point out the importance of students' collaboration in the computer lab. The first describes two students' use of the word processor to write a story collaboratively. The second analyzes the dialogue of two students playing a computer game, showing that such games help students become better at planning and decision making. (ARH)

Three principal types of goal structure are (1) cooperative; (2) competitive; and (3) individualistic. Specifically designed cooperatively structured group activities can improve group performance and attitudes in class. A writing class for English majors is briefly described and evaluated before and after goal structure was considered. Grade…