These materials aim to help teachers make explicit links between teaching in the Literacy Hour and in the rest of the curriculum. The materials map teaching objectives from England's National Literacy Strategy's (NLS) Framework for Teaching to various text types and lists NLS resources which can be used to support teaching and learning. Text types…

The role of play in the learning and development of young children has long been recognized by researchers and early childhood educators. Although research indicates that play does provide a context that supports and facilitates literacy learning, most research has focused on preschool or kindergarten children. The purpose of this study was to…

Arguing that the ability to write effectively hinges upon having an adequate vocabulary, this digest explores some of the ways vocabulary influences writing ability, and how teachers can use vocabulary development specifically to improve writing skills. The digest suggests that the breadth and depth of a student's vocabulary will have a direct…

Making and Writing Words is a variation of Making Words, a popular spelling and word study instructional activity. In Making and Writing Words, students are guided by their teacher in writing and sorting words using a limited set of letters, then students write the words on a sheet of paper designed to accommodate the activity. Teachers have found…

Suggests a number of clearly defined tasks which can lead to a higher degree of successful completion enabling students to succeed in written composition. (TO)

Suggests several ways to help students understand why they write and to teach them something about how to write. (TO)

The purpose of this inquiry was to investigate the relation, if any, between the students' ability to write instructional objectives and their ability to instruct/teach. (Author)

Describes a play-writing experiment at Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado. (RS)

Creative writing helps children to develop the ability to think imaginatively and to express their ideas and feelings effectively and constructively. Properly motivated, it is an enjoyable acitivity that should be carried out more than once a year. (Author)

Urges professional writers to consider their audience, persona, and subject matter when preparing manuscripts for submission. (DD)