Uses a specific poetics of collage to explore the parallels between artistic and written discourse to show that composing a persuasive collage or hypertext requires rhetorical skill. Shows also how this kind of skill is modeled in the work of the American collage artist Joseph Cornell (1903-72). Discusses intertextuality and postmodern…

Describes methods of teaching summarizing skills to seventh graders. Notes that the English teachers at the middle school were quite surprised that their students did not know how to summarize effectively. (RS)

Argues that writing teachers and scholars need to build a public sphere in which their students can imagine themselves taking a role as a writer. Suggests that the sphere is always constructed and that it cannot, in present society, be unitary. Illustrates such a sphere by examining President Bill Clinton's construction of a public sphere in his…

This study used a pluralistic model to examine the procedures used by two preschoolers to achieve written productions using invented orthographies. The model allows children's procedural variations to be taken into consideration by understanding the hierarchy of different processing modes available to children in completing the task and…

Community college remedial reading students composed an informational report from sources. Productivity, use of source text, reproductions, accuracy, and inclusion of key ideas were analyzed as a function of text density and domain (health, business), and prior knowledge and general literacy skill. Text density interacted with literacy skill for…

Contends that proofreading is a powerful strategy in children's development as spellers. Notes that proofreading requires children to engage actively in the process of spelling analysis. Presents a case study which suggests that a child's ability to proofread is influenced by his or her understanding and abilities in reading, writing, and…

Discusses general issues related to attitudes towards writing, which may be of interest to those working with English-as-a-second-language students, especially students coming from educational settings where writing is not traditionally taught. Presents the practice of the Writing Center at Central uropean University, one of the few centers in…

Examined the use of "Writing Frames" to enhance ninth grade students' science investigations. Students were taught to use "Writing Frames" booklets and language cues booklets for "writing up" their science projects. Surveys of participants and nonparticipants indicated that participants had increased scores on various…

Explains how to use journaling in environmental education and the importance of creative writing to student learning. Discusses planning journaling activities for younger and older students and the assessment methods used. (YDS)

Examines literary acquisition in a congenitally speechless child. Explains that in spite of a complete oral apraxia, the child developed normal intelligence and acquired complete mastery of reading and writing skills. Notes that though both his verbal memory and metaphonological skills were surprisingly preserved, he showed relative impairment in…

Notes that as the author explored the reasons behind students' difficulties with organization, coherence, and revision, and as she developed strategies for addressing the root causes, she found she was teaching grammar and not usage. Concludes that care should be taken to align instructional methods with the nature of subject matter. (SG)

Introduces a method of training college students writing skills in content areas that involves the use of a peer-review panel to encourage students to write in-class essays in academic and professional formats. Concludes that because the procedure motivates students to learn and helps the instructor teach, both students and the instructor feel…

Investigated the relationships among students' perceptions of their second language (L2) writing anxiety and various learner differences and among L2 writing anxiety and other forms of language anxiety. Four language scales and a background information questionnaire were used to collect data. Findings suggest that fostering students' positive and…

Evaluates a method of re-drafting that puts the emphasis on meaning rather than appearance of text and reveals pupils' ability to improve their written work unaided. Presents evidence concerning how a group of low ability students alter their own written work when reading it aloud. (MG)

Suggestions are offered of ways to encourage the development of writing skills through the supportive sharing and provision of feedback. Suggestions are included for classroom writers' circles, writers' conferences, and editing/revising strategies. (DB)