Since there are similarities between the process of writing computer programs and the process of writing successful expository prose, a student's knowledge of computer programing can contribute to the understanding of some principles of composition. The establishment of a clear objective is the first priority of both the writer and the programer,…

To determine students' different but equally valid ways of dealing with the composing process, a college instructor developed a questionnaire assessing personality styles. The questionnaire distinguishes between (1) approaches to the writing process, (2) preferences for types of instruction, (3) preferences for types of writing and organizational…

Traditional methods of studying literature have included making assignments, having class discussions of the texts, and then assigning students to write about them. However, based on the concept that reading literature is a form of composing and that aspects of the process model for teaching writing can be applied to teaching literature, the…

Intended for teachers and administrators, this collection of essays focuses on the dual meaning of practice--practice of writing skills, and teaching practices in composition instruction. The process section focuses on the types of activities that build composition skills. The product and program sections shift focus to professional practice, the…

When teaching writing in content areas, such as hydrobiology, instructors should remember that what works in a writing class does not necessarily work across the curriculum. Yet although differences exist, content area teachers still need writing departments to teach their students to write. One possible response is the generic course, such as…

In a composition course, interview assignments have four key virtues: (1) they are interesting in themselves; (2) they ease students into the demands of working with other people's ideas; (3) they offer a rationale for improving rhetorical skills; and (4) they allow students to experience adult, responsible roles in a social context. In addition,…

Observing the composing processes of students working over real time in naturalistic settings, two exploratory studies asked: (1) What skills and assumptions do freshman and advanced writers invoke when they are searching for information to be used in writing? (2) What strategies and goals do students bring to a typical writing-from-sources task…

Sequenced writing assignments--a series of related writing tasks--offer students frequent opportunities to write and to acquire writing skills through redundancy, progressively more complicated cognitive and rhetorical demands, and a diversity of learning activities. The most frequently identified goal of sequencing is to move students beyond…

An exploratory study investigated the relationship between students' achievement in and perceptions of a freshman composition course based on the collaborative skill rehearsal model. This model involves preparation for writing through rehearsal, in small group activities, of skills students will need to successfully complete their individual work.…

Holistic approaches to the teaching of reading and writing, most notably the Whole Language movement, reject the philosophy that language skills can be taught. Instead, holistic teachers emphasize process, and they structure the students' classroom activities to be rich in language experience. Computers can be used as tools for whole language…

Developed to provide teachers with a framework for writing instruction, this handbook presents the objectives for writing in the elementary schools from kindergarten through grade 8. After a brief overview of the handbook, information covered includes: (1) a description of writing types (creative expression, narration, exposition, persuasion, and…

Following an introduction by James Britton, this book discusses the attitudes and values giving rise to effective writing instruction. The seven chapters examine the following topics: (1) achieving a philosophical perspective on composing through awareness of how writers actually work; (2) assumptions underlying classical rhetoric; (3) writing as…

The six chapters in the book comment upon writing and writing instruction. The first chapter describes the major research of the past 15 years and the ways it has altered how teachers regard the teaching of writing. The chapter compares the American research tradition, with its emphasis on system, sequence, and order, and the British tradition,…

Teachers can use a variety of techniques to help students learn to manage the writing process of generating ideas, writing, and revising material. To assist students in developing their ideas about a topic, acquiring additional information, and integrating new information with previous ideas--all part of the generating phase--teachers can give…

A study investigated cognitive behaviors and processes that contribute to writer's block. Subjects were 10 college undergraduates who had scored at the extreme ends of a writer's block measurement instrument. The 10, 6 "high-blockers" and 4 "low-blockers," varied in their English experience, class standing, and majors. Each was given a writing…