Presents excerpts from a student's year-end self-evaluation, including a few excerpts from her portfolio. Includes her teacher's comments, intended to confirm what the student knows, and to consider how the teacher's classroom practices may have influenced or contributed to Sarah's learning. Appends an evaluation form to help students evaluate…

Studies of the written language of students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing addressed, among other topics, level of reading skills, development of language skills after age 12, and evidence of a critical age for language learning. Data collection methods, research outcomes, and an overview of other articles in the theme issue are discussed. (CR)

The compositions of 49 students (ages 10-14) with deafness or hearing impairments and 49 typical students were compared to investigate the frequency and proportional distribution of written-language variables. Differences were found between the strategies chosen by the students with deafness or hearing impairments in both syntax and semantics and…

A study of 943 personal narratives of students with deafness evaluated the effectiveness of the Six-Trait Analytical Scale in assessing student's writing. The scale was found to be reliable and valid in evaluating written narratives of students with and without hearing losses and is recommended as a valuable diagnostic instrument and instructional…

Suggests specific approaches to critiquing A student's paper motivates THE student to produce better papers and to improve writing skills. Warns against overemphasis on the mechanics of writing, and points out steps the instructor may follow to involve students in the editing process. (NL)

Comparison of college students' (N=14) graded and ungraded Spanish compositions revealed that, when they anticipated receiving a grade, students wrote longer compositions with more complex sentences. However, the type and number of errors varied among students. (CB)

Suggests ways to increase the amount of writing in political science classes without overburdening teachers or students. Recommends the use of journals, the precis, memoranda, position essays, and candidate profiles. Maintains that it is more productive to focus on what students say, rather than how they say it. (RW)

In an effort to encourage the integration of writing as a communicative act in the second language classroom, information is presented about the purposes of writing in the second language classroom, types of writing tasks, proficiency levels in writing, writing activities, and writing evaluation. (Author/CB)

Provides an annotated list, organized by subject, of 151 books in the areas of writing (contexts, status surveys, instruction, processes, text analysis, assessment, rhetoric, and writing and learning), language (processing, development, interrelationships, and language and schooling), literature, and teacher education. (MG)

Described are the experiences of one teacher with the teaching of writing in college level microbiology, virology, and immunology courses. Assignments, methods, evaluation, and student responses are discussed. (CW)

Examines teachers' responses to students' first drafts of writing assignments. States that teachers should lead students to rethink and rewrite through positive, constructive feedback. Suggests three ways to encourage students to rewrite/revise, including: dialogue feedback, student conferencing, and reader reaction summary. (MM)

Discusses writing assessment's recent evolution toward "tests worth teaching to." Urges further departure from accountability evaluation models toward an ecological model (Part two of this article appears in v10 n2 p4-10 Apr 1988; see EJ 371 768). (MM)

Discusses the effectiveness of teacher comments on student compositions. Asserts that establishing a written dialogue between teacher and student, including reactions to the student's composition and the student's reactions to teacher's comments, helps students develop their ideas further and provides more experience in expressing those ideas in…

Teachers in Iowa's North Scott School District have become writers helping their students learn through the writing process approach. The district's reading assessment is based on student writing samples, cumulative writing folders, and a holistic evaluation system. Includes two references. (MLH)

Reviews research on handwriting instruction that focuses on these questions: (1) Do learners need particular writing instruments and paper? (2) Should educators encourage students to trace or copy? and (3) How can educators evaluate learners' writing? Offers implications and suggestions for handwriting instruction. (BB)