Developed as a model for teachers faced with the task of assigning research papers to students who are still apprentice writers, this two-part paper explores the possibilities of written response that reside both in the dialogic interplay of ideas in utopian texts and in the criticism of utopian texts. The first part examines some ideas contained…

Designed to expand children's artistic and reading/writing abilities while developing their ability to draw, tell, and write stories, this paper describes a "story-picture" program for first grade Blackfoot Indian children. General cognitive, perceptual and psychomotor, and affective skills are listed as the course's intended learning…

The guide is intended to help teachers of mildly handicapped (learning disabled, behavior disordered, and mildly retarded) students develop and modify language arts activities keyed to specific learning needs. A preliminary chapter discusses principles of teaching for mastery and generalization including sequential modification, identifying and…

The aims of the projects described in this paper were to develop and evaluate a new approach to the assessment of English language skills of English as a second language (ESL) students. The approach makes use of optical scanning equipment in scoring cloze-elide test exercises, thereby providing a rapid, relatively inexpensive and objective measure…

This guide suggests techniques for teaching skills in summary writing to students of English as a foreign language (EFL) in scientific and technical fields. Activities include: pre-summarization (identification of thesis sentences, conclusions and other essential components, multiple readings, notetaking and text-marking); summarization activities…

To determine whether the development of writing skills changes across college years, a study examined the writing of average-age college freshmen, sophomores, and beginning juniors. Writing samples were obtained during the first week of the first semester, last week of the first semester, first week of the third semester, and first week of the…

This student guide is intended to assist persons employed as supervisors in developing writing skills. Discussed in the first four sections are the following topics: when to write (writing versus talking, writing as backup, writing for efficiency and to overcome time lags, and passing the message); how to write (making writing simple, clear, and…

Intended as a tool for school district personnel as they develop competency-based education programs for English composition, this document presents objectives and guidelines for improving composition quality and instruction. The chapters cover the following topics: (1) the writing process, (2) the relationship between the writing process and…

To examine the differences and the unique qualities of third grade writers in relation to their uses of language and their perception of the world, a selection of writings from 20 third grade students was analyzed for language ability as measured by words per T-unit. Then, two students from the higher and two from the lower end of the scale were…

This paper opens with a brief description of three administrative options for implementing bibliographic instruction programs for college level students: (1) composition instructors teach their students research methods without working with librarians; (2) librarians offer separate library skills courses to the general student body; and (3)…

This paper discusses the value of using children's books to enhance career education and presents sample learning activities for use in presenting career education concepts through children's literature. Career education for first and second graders, which focuses on teaching about jobs, work, the self, and life, is discussed first. Eleven ways in…

The New Mexico High School Proficiency Examination (NMHSPE) assesses the extent to which New Mexico students have mastered the skills and knowledge specified on the New Mexico Basic Skills Plan. The test includes an objective portion and a writing assessment. A student passing both sections receives a diploma endorsement from the State Department…

Developed to form the basis for a state-wide public school student assessment program, this manual outlines course performance standards based upon intended outcomes in language arts courses which are part of the state-adopted curriculum frameworks, grades 9 through 12. The standards are for courses in English skills, English, and English honors…

More than half of the entering freshmen at Rio Grande College in Ohio are required to take developmental English. In addition to having grammar, reading, and writing difficulties to overcome, most of these students have negative attitudes toward writing. In an effort to improve students' writing skills and attitudes, word processing instruction…

Designed for students enrolled in an Abnormal Psychology course at Howard Community College (Maryland), this booklet explains the requirements for the course's writing assignments, which are designed to teach the skills of comparison and contrast, analysis, critical thinking, and synthesis. Following an overview of class assignments and…