The assumption that every publications office needs a customized writing style guide to handle the variety of questions that come up is discussed. The philosophy of the school publications office and the way it functions says more about style than a list of preferred spellings. (MLW)

Provides directions for making four-page fold-a-books for children to use when authoring their own books. (MG)

Argues that writing promotes engagement with a text, leading to better comprehension, and that writing tasks should vary depending on the nature of the reading task. (RAE)

Suggests that personal spelling dictionaries and spelling error analysis are strategies which will help students improve their spelling more than memorizing lists of unrelated words from spelling books. (MS)

Analyzes the literary strategy used by a biologist in order to make a new knowledge claim in a different discipline. Argues that review papers afford the best opportunity for constructing new knowledge claims, because they do not have to conform to a routinely standardized structure, and they allow a wider semantic repertoire than do experimental…

After examining the related research, it is difficult to conclude with certainty that the use of word processors is always effective in improving writers' revising skills or that their use necessarily leads to the production of higher quality texts. Their effectiveness depends on other factors that psychologists are starting to measure. (110…

Argues that prewriting is the most important skill to emphasize and practice extensively in basic writing classes. Describes basic writers as almost universally neglecting prewriting activities. Suggests some guidelines for teaching prewriting effectively. (HB)

Argues that students must be taught specific techniques for adapting their prose through increasing the level of language. Suggests one technique of analyzing the choices of subjects and verbs in sentences that can help students produce more intelligent and powerful writing. (HB)

Provides evidence (based on studies of college-entrant essays) that readers form definite impressions of the writer's personality from the text, that these impressions have an important effect on the acceptance of the writer's message, and that information about the reader's perception of the writer's personality can play a critical role in…

A survey of 147 certified public accounting firms received 49 responses identifying skills, abilities, and qualifications most desired of prospective employees. Responses indicated that the most marketable students are those with well-developed written and oral communication skills. (JOW)

Describes a method for developing writing expertise in English-as-a-Second-Language students that involves a sequence of five writing assignments. The method addresses the concerns of writing teachers and researchers and provides students with experience in academic writing. (12 references) (VWL)

Shares practical information that technical writers can use when writing scripts for video presentations. Discusses the kinds of information needed for script writing, the steps involved in doing so, and the script's role in production and editing. (SR)

Offers a description of the journalistic way to write, condensed into the acronym CODE (Collect facts, Order, Development, and Edit). (SR)

Presents a four-stage instructional sequence of modeling, practicing, evaluating, and reinforcing activities for developing student-directed notetaking strategies. Notes that an emphasis on evaluating and reinforcing allows the introduction of the Notetaking Observation Training, and Evaluation Scales (NOTES), a system for fostering students'…

Includes six writing exercises on revision for teachers to do. (MG)