The aim of this study was to describe the varieties of English used in two American Indian communities and to examine the effect of language diversity on the acquisition of certain educational skills. The field work was carried out in two Puebloan communities in New Mexico, San Juan and Laguna. The description of selected linguistic structures and…

The traditional method of teaching writing to students in universities by correcting their errors supposes a generally well-developed sense of written language structure and formal English language discourse. The new population seeking higher education does not always possess such a background. An alternative instructional method is to use the…

Over 100 academic administrators, professionals in English, and writers responded to a request to annotate a sample paragraph written by a college student at a minimum skill level. Responses varied to extreme degrees in several areas, with letter grades ranging from B to F and annotations ranging from declaring the student's situation hopeless to…

This paper describes a series of in-service workshops on the teaching of writing, conducted for elementary and secondary teachers. After a brief overview of the way in which the workshops were planned, the paper examines the topics dealt with in the workshops: the composing process, varieties of writing, skills of writing, mechanics and…

Two communications skills courses were developed to improve the English fluency of Navajo students. Communications Workshop I (English 100) emphasizes basic skills review, by focusing on reading and writing short papers based on responses to readings and class discussions, and on personal experience. The course is intended to familiarize the…

Sample test questions are given for the Proficiency Testing Program adopted by the Idaho State Department of Education. Except for the writing skills test item, which requires a writing sample, all questions are objective, multiple choice items. Sample questions are given for reading, spelling, and mathematics. (MH)

This is one in a series of eight discussion pamphlets produced by the Writing Across the Curriculum Project dealing with some of the issues connected with writing in the schools and their relation to learning. This pamphlet is concerned with what is involved in the learning of new ideas and what part language plays in the process. It includes…

THE BEGINNING WRITER NEEDS BOTH ENCOURAGEMENT AND DIRECTION. ONCE A STUDENT, NONVERBAL OR FLUENT, HAS EXPRESSED AN OPINION, SIGNIFICANT OR TRIVIAL, THE PUMP CAN BE PRIMED BY ASKING HIM "WHY," AND HIS FLOW OF "BECAUSES" CAN BE CONTROLLED BY CHANNELING THEM INTO A SIMPLE PATTERN. THE NONVERBAL STUDENT IS ENCOURAGED TO WRITE WHEN HE LEARNS THAT A…

FOR A REPORT ON COLLEGE PROGRAMS IN FRESHMAN COMPOSITION, THE ASSOCIATION OF DEPARTMENTS OF ENGLISH OBTAINED SYLLABI AND COURSE DESCRIPTIONS FROM DIRECTORS OF FRESHMAN COMPOSITION IN 66 COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. AMONG THE DATA ASSEMBLED FOR THE FULL REPORT (AVAILABLE AS TE 500 190) ARE THE DESCRIPTIONS OF FRESHMAN ENGLISH COURSES AT NINE…

FOR A REPORT ON COLLEGE PROGRAMS IN FRESHMAN COMPOSITION, THE ASSOCIATION OF DEPARTMENTS OF ENGLISH OBTAINED SYLLABI AND COURSE DESCRIPTIONS FROM DIRECTORS OF FRESHMAN COMPOSITION AT 66 COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. AMONG THE DATA ASSEMBLED FOR THE FULL REPORT (AVAILABLE AS TE 500 190) ARE THE DESCRIPTIONS OF FRESHMAN ENGLISH PROGRAMS AT THE SEVEN…

Children will enjoy creative writing in the primary grades if they are given inspiration, time to write, and the opportunity to share their work with classmates. A second-grade class began a creative writing project by listening to poetry and selecting poems to memorize and recite. This stimulated and encouraged them to evaluate and to write…

To determine the effect of proofreading on spelling, a study was conducted with middle- and upper-middle-class students in four sixth-grade classes in two schools in Austin, Texas. Two classes were used as control groups, and two as experimental groups. Teachers of both groups participated in the planning sessions to prepare 14 lessons with…

This anthology of children's writing from two Infant, 10 Junior, two Modern, and two Grammar schools in the West Riding of Yorkshire focuses attention on the child's powers of expression rather than on his technical accomplishments . The work from each school is prefaced by a statement from the teacher describing the circumstances under which the…

Students will respond better to grammar instruction if the traditional heavy handbooks are replaced with light-weight paperbacks, each full of practical suggestions and clear examples. Several inexpensive paperbacks are available for instruction in grammar and usage, spelling, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and writing. Unlike the conventional…

This compilation of resource materials for the teaching of written composition in grades K-6 is based on the assemptions that the desire to write frequently results from the enjoyment and stimulation derived from reading what another has written; that children's literature offers the pupil contact with master writers; and that this contact may be…