Describes a course on communication skills in psychology that includes learning library research skills, writing research reports and term papers, making behavioral observation notes, and giving oral presentations. Shows that student performance in tests on knowledge of American Psychological Association principles improved during the course.…

Presents a matrix for writing business memos and describes how it helps students organize memos that are logically complete, internally consistent, and coherent. (SR)

This longitudinal interpretive case study documents the role and significance of one preschooler's name in deepening her understanding of written language. Findings highlight the importance of an authentic, purposeful, literacy-rich, supportive environment for children, that provides them time to invent, predict, and guess how written language…

Develops a structured writing effectiveness program across three junior level courses in the accounting major (tax, cost, and financial accounting) to improve the writing skills of accounting students. Provides evidence that the writing across the curriculum project significantly improved the students' writing skills. (SC)

Notes research findings showing that student-selected topics do not result in better student writing. Discusses the importance of knowledge for writers, the three sources of knowledge, and avoiding unworkable topics. Argues that the teacher's active involvement in the process of topic selection and development ensures good research writing.…

Describes a program at Southeast Missouri State University that uses process recordings, or written records of student-tutor conferences, in peer tutoring and editing sessions for composition courses. Suggests that process recording increases the benefits of peer-editing activities and teaches students to be better readers of their own writing as…

Explains that understanding the art of persuasion can help students in evaluating what they hear, read, and write. Recommends four books that have good examples of persuasion and provides information on how to use prewriting as well as the reading writing relationship to construct arguments and write essays. (MOK)

Describes the Write Now approach that allows teachers to transform the first few minutes of class into a powerful learning experience by helping students reflect on the previous day's lessons and encouraging them to construct their own knowledge of the concepts being studied. Discusses Quasar questions, reviewing responses, constructing…

Finds that communication tasks assigned in veterinary medical courses accord well with the communication tasks expected to be performed by practicing veterinarians. Concludes that the merging of research and practice in the education of veterinary medical students may offer lessons for the education of professional practitioners in technical…

Describes how teachers can make writing an important part of everyday life within the school community by: conferring with students about purpose and audience; elevating genres particular to schools; designing community service assignments; expecting that artwork will be accompanied by text; weaving writing into student government; creating…

Notes that teaching composition in a technical college presents a number of challenges. Considers how employers are calling for the hands-on training to be combined with more communication and critical thinking skills so that employees have a broader education that allows them to switch speeds or tasks. Describes activities and course components…

At Eastern Technical High School in Baltimore, Maryland, senior students undertake a yearlong research project to prepare them for writing tasks they will confront after high school. Students work in teams to produce high-quality documents. (JOW)

Surveys journalism educators and editors of daily newspapers to determine whether they agreed about the competencies emphasized in United States college journalism programs. Finds the two groups differed significantly about the emphases of the programs, but were in considerable agreement about the skills and abilities needed by graduates. Notes…

Presents four primary-level activities designed to help students learn to love words and enjoy the process of writing. The activities help students craft poems, build their vocabularies in writing, integrate more imagery into their writing using rebus stories, and find missing parts in their stories through questioning. (SM)

Studied the influence of 4 different prewriting treatments on the quality of written discourse produced by fifth graders (96 in all) compared with writings of 24 students without prewriting instructions. Reading paired with prewriting before composing was found to be the most effective prewriting instructional strategy. (SLD)