A study examined the writing practices, attitudes, and beliefs about the importance of writing at work of "basic" writers and "strong" writers. Subjects were graduates of Francis Marion College for the years 1984 to 1989. Questionnaires were returned by 119 of the 182 basic writers (identified through placement in remedial…

In separate but overlapping narratives, 3 women composition teachers ponder some of the challenges female instructors face in defining their role for themselves and the students they teach. Students and women instructors both experience considerable confusion over what role the woman instructor fills; both parties view her too often not only as a…

Focusing on teachers' perspectives, this report examines sociocultural diversity and teaching by reconstructing the talk of a group of 10 teachers from the Oakland and Berkeley, California areas who met weekly for a school year. The curricular focus of the group was the teaching of writing, but over time the discussions of difference and child…

A program for improving the quality of student writing was developed. The targeted population consists of kindergarten, first- and second-grade students in an expanding middle class community, located in a suburb southwest of Chicago. The problem is documented through data collected from writing samples, anecdotal checklists, student interviews,…

A study investigated how Accelerated Learning (AL), a teaching methodology that purports to increase the quantity and improve the quality of learning, affected tertiary students' knowledge of and skills in writing and their feelings towards writing. AL has its origins in G. Lozanov's "suggestopedia." Believing that formal teaching…

The Story Train is a non-profit, elementary literacy program dedicated to the development of creative writing and critical thinking skills. Those objectives are achieved through a variety of specific techniques utilized to inspire students. The four components of the program are workshop, residency, television production, and an Internet site. The…

A study describes a program for improving the quality and variety of students' writing. The targeted population consisted of elementary and special education high school students in suburban communities north of Chicago, Illinois. The problems were documented through the collection of writing samples, teacher observation, student self-evaluation,…

Most college students are not accustomed to writing about, reading, analyzing, or discussing 19th-century Black literature, especially slave narratives. As many educators try to include more Black literature in their curriculums, there is a growing need to develop successful methods to approach the texts so that students are prepared to write…

This book asserts that deaf students should be treated no differently from non-deaf students and that American Sign Language (ASL) and English can coexist in the classroom, embedded in the content being taught. It stresses that language acquisition, whether oral or manual, as well as the learning of reading and writing or subject content, are all…

A qualitative study examined what happens to the learning environment when a heterogeneous group of male adults uses technology and collaborative strategies to improve their writing skills. During the 14-week study, the teacher modeled the use of technology when introducing units in a writing course and used the abilities and strengths of the…

Developed from actual classroom need and field-tested with primary teachers across the country, this how-to book presents the "nuts and bolts" of how to implement a writing program that turns kids on to writing. Throughout the book, three teachers share vignettes about writing sessions in their classrooms. After an introduction and…

The first annual report in the project's 24-year history, this report describes aspects of the National Writing Project (NWP), a nationwide education program that works to improve student writing and thinking by improving the teaching of writing in U.S. schools. The report notes that each year more than 100,000 teachers in 45 states, the District…

Teaching via technology, whether using computers, the Internet, television, or video networks, is a growing field that is a Pandora's box of benefits and dangers. A one-way, non-interactive English telecourse combines televised lessons with textbooks and study guides but does not allow students to interrupt in real-time to interact with the…

A fully detailed teacher's manual for classroom, home, or tutorial use, this book is for the child in the beginning grades, the pupil who needs remedial work, or any adult studying English as a second language, who will find learning by the Spalding Method a practical, quick way of mastering verbal skills. The book notes that the Spalding Method…

The English department at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is trying to create an environment where all voices are heard and respected, both those of the literarists and compositionists. Where it is probably more customary to think of curriculum as a reflection of faculty values, the guiding principle at LMU has been that curriculum can influence…