The literacy problem in the Cleveland area and recommendations for dealing with it are presented in this booklet. Beginning with a definition of literacy and a discussion of the human costs and economic consequences of illiteracy, the booklet advocates reducing adult illiteracy, eliminating basic skills deficits, and improving communications…

The use of a Jonathan Schwartz essay as a prose model to teach writing lends itself appropriately to classroom discussions on various aspects of autobiography and general narrative design. Such use has proved to be particularly helpful with young writers because of its deceptively simple style and language and its use of a variety of sophisticated…

A seminar was held in England in 1981 to come up with a systematic, detailed analysis of argument and with suggestions on how it should be taught on the secondary level. Within a framework of questions designed to distinguish types and purposes of argument, members of the seminar analyzed four essays paragraph by paragraph. Their comments…

There are two major categories of writing, expository and creative. Expository writing includes descriptive writing (description, report, taking notes, outline, exposition, summary, letter, diary, telegram, and minutes) and argumentative writing (argumentation, essay, and comment). Creative writing includes poem, narration, tale, slogan,…

This 44-item, annotated bibliography provides an overview of the major viewpoints and methods in current technical writing practice and instruction. It is intended for instructors, students, and managers of engineering firms. Entries are presented in three categories. The first category (8 entries)) focuses on the requirements for technical…

It is held that academic learning, beginning with speech mastery, is the natural, necessary, and most legitimate core of every child's nursery curriculum. And no subject matter is more academic in nature than the mastery of spoken and written language. However, as intellectually challenging as the learning of first language may be, it is generally…

In a longitudinal study comparing two different methods of handwriting instruction, the manuscript and cursive styles of D'Nealian and Zaner Bloser were compared. Subjects were 86 first and second graders, from four classrooms in a rural Illinois school district, taught according to only one or the other of these methods since kindergarten. A…

This paper was based on a study of the writings of six scientists for lay readers and discussions with the authors on their concepts of audience and audience adaptation. Scientists who write popular or literary essays use several devices and methods that allow the successful transference of technical or scientific information to a general…

Relates the difficulties that student-initiated and directed projects have had in securing funding. Suggests that students' lack of proposal writing experience has been the major problem. Offers specific guidelines on how to write a proposal, and presents a list of fund sources and addresses. (PC)

Argues the need for the development of oral language skills as a basis for reading and writing at the elementary school level. (RB)

Suggests that the teacher who wants to lead children toward visual literacy and eventually to reading and writing skill must help children explore what they themselves perceive and how and why they perceive it. (TO)

Abstract words such as "tradition" are like ancient coins whose concrete images have worn away. Traditions can be of two forms--either alive, amendable, and expandable (such as those in a family's annual Christmas celebration), or dead, empty formalities. An example of an empty tradition is the strict rule in freshman composition classes that…

The purpose of this manual is to enable authors of educational materials to plan, organize, and prepare materials in a format that is accurate and clear and that requires a minimum of rewriting and editing before publication. The following topics are discussed: the use of reference and copyrighted materials; the use of illustrations; the…