Based on research using participant and nonparticipant observation in a natural setting, a study examined how teaching practices, classroom conditions, and student differences influenced the design of writing lessons in 14 English classes in five inner city schools. Data were collected from five sources--interviews, writing samples,…

Focusing on the sociolinguistic dimensions of literacy, this sourcebook builds upon Mina Shaughnessy's contributions to the study of basic writing by gathering together contemporary research, theory, and practice on the subject. The 39 essays and their authors include: "Defining Basic Writing in Context" and "Perspectives on…

This report summarizes and synthesizes current research on the effects of using word processors on students' writing performance. The report examines cognitive models of the writing process, issues in the assessment of writing performance, and research on instruction in keyboarding. The work was carried out as part of a course requirement by…

Two studies investigated three questions: (1) Do second language learners provide mostly faulty feedback to their peers in evaluating written composition? (2) Is peer feedback more or less effective than teacher correction? and (3) Do second language learners welcome or resist peer feedback? The studies were done in Thailand and Hawaii with…

Written language skills are an important goal within programs of language development for students with mental disabilities. Specific facets should be considered in the teaching of writing, such as drawing on previous linguistic experiences, viewing writing as both process and product, emphasizing writing as a form of communication, tying writing…

To document the writing practices, opinions, and perceptions of a particular segment of professionals in the work force, a study surveyed Department of Defense middle managers working for the United States Air Force. Self-report questionnaires were completed by 234 middle managers who had completed a one-week formal in-house writing program, and…

Developed in response to numerous requests from curriculum specialists and classroom teachers, this booklet addresses student assessment in written composition. Its purpose is: (1) to assist teachers in constructing writing prompts which correspond to the TEAMS (Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills) writing objectives and measurement…

Fifty fifth and sixth grade students participated in a study attempting to document motivational differences that may be associated with two approaches to classroom writing instruction. Thirty of the students were involved in the process-oriented approach where students are encouraged to write multiple drafts of assignments, attending to issues of…

A middle school classroom teacher and a college instructor describe an activity in which 14 students in a sixth-grade special education class corresponded with college students enrolled in a language arts methods course. The middle school students were excited about writing and motivated to do their best, and their writing grew in complexity,…

This 31-item bibliography which ranges from 1981 to 1988 focuses on the special needs of gifted students in the reading classroom and the challenges to the reading teacher to encourage gifted students to stretch intellectually and to develop critical thinking and reading skills. The articles deal with issues related to reading material selection,…

Now that senior high school English teachers are once more under pressure to teach literary masterpieces, they may find help in some of the practices of creative English teachers in the post-Sputnik era (1957-1963). Those practices worked. Not only did the kids meet great authors and their books, but the encounters were relatively painless. In…

This annotated bibliography contains 26 references on writing apprehension found in the ERIC database. The bibliography contains citations from the period between 1985 and 1989 and is divided into four sections. The first section lists sources of teaching ideas. Citations in the second section deal with the use of computers in alleviating writing…

In an attempt to determine the effectiveness of writing assignments in basal reading series and the extent to which teachers used the suggested writing assignments, four fifth grade teachers of reading and their classes were observed for 10 days. Although participants reported that they regularly included written composition in reading…

This history of computer text analysis of student writing while brief, is complicated by the fact that there are actually three distinct efforts underway to use the computer for such purposes. There is a certain amount of overlap among the efforts, but their intentions are different enough to warrant separate review. The first effort is toward…

This book contains 16 articles on how teachers respond to students' writing and how they can help students evaluate their own writing and make it more effective. It encourages teachers to study their own assumptions and techniques for responding to student work, assess whether they are helping students take responsibility, and adjust their…