A teacher of English composition analyzes a few examples of written compositions given him by a class of adult job trainees, the majority of whom are of ghetto high school background. By concentrating on the positive aspects of their efforts and deemphasizing rigid grammatical mechanics which tend to inhibit their expression, he discovers that his…

Study in writing processes, as presented in this paper, is based on the assumption that in order to write effectively, writers must be able not only to present ideas and feelings, but also to engage in the cognitive processes that will help them discover what they wish to say about a given idea, attitude, or set of data. These basic cognitive…

Twenty-four tenth-grade students were randomly assigned to three groups as part of a study of the effects of teacher comments on student essays. Throughout the course, one group received comments to indicate faults, one group received comments correcting errors, and one group received comments designed to foster thinking. At the beginning and end…

This paper argues that it can be helpful to accept and comment upon preliminary drafts of student papers, as well as the "final" version that will be graded. Comments on preliminary drafts should focus on what seem to be the most fundamental matters, leaving others (including grading) for later drafts. Appropriate types of concerns and comments at…

Information derived from an informal study of the processes through which students go as they complete papers assigned for class shows that most freshman students spend little time preparing for their writing and use a simple drafting technique in composition. This paper offers a model of the student composing process which is generalized from the…

Three skills of written expression--composition, mechanics, and grammar--are the focus of this guide for elementary grades. The goal for these areas is for all students to learn how to use the skills of composing and editing appropriate to their age and level of individual development. Within the categories of composition, mechanics, and grammar,…

This booklet presents the objectives prepared for the National Assessment of Educational Progress's reassessment of writing. The three main writing objectives were: (1) Demonstrates ability in writing to reveal personal feelings and ideas; (2) Demonstrates ability to write in response to a wide range of societal demands and obligations; and (3)…

This paper describes the almost story as a story that overwhelms the author but does not wholly come across to the reader. It is a story that simultaneously excites and disappoints, intrigues and frustrates. Several teaching suggestions for helping students turn an almost story into a story are given, including encouraging students to experiment…

The training manual is designed to assist naval personnel in preparing for advancement to the rates of Journalist Third and Second Class. An outline of the job and responsibilities of a Navy journalist is followed by a description of the mission and organization of Navy Public Affairs. An introduction to the media available to the Navy journalist…

This booklet is one of a series developed by the Northern Colorado Educational Board of Cooperative Services to make available to teachers ideas designed and tested by other teachers. Many of the ideas are from educational journals as well as from the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC). The booklet is divided into two sections, one…

The purposes of this study are to assess Swedish adults' reading and writing skills so that they can be compared with the corresponding skills of students in the comprehensive and upper secondary schools, and to investigate the extent to which adults' reading and writing activities can be described as satisfactory to their needs. The subjects of…

A college-level course in technical writing can provide a unique opportunity for the nontechnical student to become acquainted with many facets of the technical world. Such knowledge is especially important to the liberal arts major because the number, scope, and impact of technological developments increase daily. Such a course would be based on…

Although more college students are enrolled in freshman composition classes than in any other, there is little clarity of purpose in these writing courses. In such a field, where outcomes must be expressed in terms of student writing skills acquired (or not acquired), few well-defined experiments have been reported. This investigator, in an…

An experiment was conducted at Metropolitan Junior College, Kansas City, to determine (1) if an experimental group of English I students who wrote 24 compositions during one semester would show greater writing improvement than a control group that wrote only eight, and (2) if there would be a difference in reading and vocabulary development…

The aim of this book is to help students of English (as a second language) to write clear, concise paragraphs. The basic requirements of good paragraph writing are discussed in detail, and illustrated with many examples. In addition, numerous exercises are provided which are designed to help students come to a fuller understanding of the facets of…