This article summarizes findings of the National Assessment of Educational Progress which surveyed the writing skills of 95,000 students aged 9, 13, and 17 in 1974, 1979, and 1984. (MT)

Compares the content of the new genres of newsletters--the in-house letter focusing on writing quality--with what writing coaches have said are the major writing problems. Indicates that the newsletters may need refocusing and that, while coaches said news writers' chief problems are conceptual writing improvements, newsletters focus on mechanics…

Recommends writing about education for local newspapers in order to gain experience in finding a voice, meeting deadlines, and becoming aware of the community as an audience. (EL)

Practical steps for remediating cursive handwriting difficulties focus on the five elements of spacing, speed, slant of letters, letter size, and letter shape. (JW)

Nonfiction writer Selzer answers questions about his writing and career. (FL)

Describes the day-to-day mechanics, including course objectives, classroom procedures, and grading of the Personalized System of Instruction for teaching English composition skills to deaf college students. Also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the system. (EKN)

Examines Francis Bacon's intentionally devised style for scientific writings and the theoretical basis of that style. Discusses his emphasis on a truly objective point of view, and his use of aphorisms to adapt to his audience. (HTH)

Stresses the importance of models in the development of youngsters' reading and writing skills. (RB)

Available from: Department of Special Education, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608.

This book describes a way to develop effective spellers--boys and girls who have a system for writing words accurately in their school compositions and in personal messages. Teachers know that to develop effective spellers, they must attend to helpful rules and to regular practice. Most research on effective spelling can be reduced to these two…

Discusses the differences in the techniques of gathering materials and in the writing styles of sportswriters and sports feature writers. (TO)

The purpose of the article is twofold: to encourage more people to submit manuscripts to journals and to reduce the number of poorly written manuscripts submitted. (Author)

Lists twelve ideas intended to increase the novice writer's perceptions of his surroundings. (RB)