Following a major policy statement on writing in the primary school, this document employs a threefold approach to examining the teaching difficulties involved in responding to children's writing. The first section considers expectations that teachers have of children as writers, children's intended meanings, and various kinds of responses to…

An examination of the value of using more sophisticated computer programs in the language arts program led to the design and development of "Thinking Networks," which provide the teacher with a new tool for teaching through nonverbal representation. Using microcomputers to improve reading and writing instruction can incorporate the…

The Brand Emotions Scale for Writers (BSEW) is a 20-item scale designed to measure the emotions of writers; (1) immediately before writing (state-before), (2) immediately after writing (state-after), and (3) when writing in general (trait). This paper describes the development of BSEW and the factor structure of these three different forms. Common…

Members of the Polish faculty at the English Institute (Poland) primarily use English as a second language (ESL) techniques to teach writing, with grammar and idiom drills, and little writing beyond the sentence level. An American professor, on the other hand, used a process approach to teach writing by providing specific instructions about…

A study explored (1) whether children demonstrated growth in writing ability through the experience of writing two or three times a week without direct teacher instruction; (2) what changes could be observed over time in the writing samples of second and fourth graders; (3) whether written language growth was a continuous progression of upward…

Reading and writing are both creative acts of communication that use written language as a vehicle for meaning. A strong theoretical case for teaching the two processes concurrently can be built by examining points of contact between reading and writing. One such point is context concerns. The Communication Triangle model (author/audience/…

By investigating the similarities and differences between speech and writing, teachers can help students mature as writers. The difference between speech and writing in conveying meaning is explained by the degree of context dependence of the utterance or passage. Speech is highly context-dependent because a speaker depends on a listener to assist…

Intended especially for elementary and secondary school teachers, this report analyzes the results of the Keystone Writing and Reasoning Skills Workshop. The introductory summary states the purposes of the project, which were to interest elementary and secondary school teachers in the proposition that writing is essential to critical thought and,…

A study investigated how and when writing is used at the elementary school level to determine (1) what kind of instructional support elementary students receive, (2) what prewriting support is provided, (3) what support for revising is offered, and (4) what happens to the students' writings. Using preservice teachers as observers, data were…

Recognizing that oral language plays a critical role in facilitating a child's written language learning, a study examined the nature and function of oral language between child and teacher and child and peer as it accompanied the writing processes and written production of young children. Participants in the study were 36 prekindergarten children…

Based on constructivist theory (emphasizing meaning generation rather than communication), the study described in this report clarifies and elaborates on the definition of the term "expressive writing." First, the paper offers a rationale for the study and a discussion of the research methodology, which combined analysis of texts and…

Placing a major emphasis on writing activity, this guide provides information and suggestions for implementing the Writing Process Curriculum in secondary schools. Following sections on the philosophy, aim, goals, and objectives of the Writing Process Curriculum, the guide outlines the stages of writing in the third section, including descriptions…

Writing is an important tool in teaching skills to adult basic education (ABE) students. To be a successful teacher of writing, teachers must be successful writers. They must be aware of the writing process and willing to use it daily in their own lives in order to convey its importance and its usefulness to their students. One method of teaching…

Over 800 studies suggest that students who learn via cooperative learning groups--as compared to competitive or individualistic learning--(1) achieve more; (2) are more positive about school, subject areas, and teachers; (3) are more positive about each other, regardless of ability or ethnic background, handicapped or not; and (4) are more…

This collection of 26 brief essays by college and high school faculty represents a variety of practical approaches that can be used in composition classes. After a foreword by the editor, the essays and their authors are as follows: "Writing as a Moral Activity" (Judith Anderson); "Specific Details (Orangen't You Wise to Use…