Examines the structure of 100 pieces of nonnarrative writing composed by students in grades 1, 2, and 3. Analyzes the coherence in each of the pieces and the hierarchical ordering of information. Suggests the inadequacy of the term "expressive writing" to describe the initial writing done by students in the sample. (AEW)

Relates the story of the arrival of a new instructor at a community college and his introduction to contemporary composition methods, wittily parodying both writing process jargon and computer jargon. (NKA)

Finds the use of mapping strategies drawn from current research enhances students' ability to organize, analyze, evaluate, and reason critically when composing from academic sources. Presents five examples. (NH)

Notes that early studies in the rhetoric of science and technology emphasized how it differs from classical rhetoric, while more recent studies emphasize the similarities and thus the political/ethical and probabilistic character of contemporary science and technology and of the contemporary discipline of technical communication. (SKC)

Finds that current pedagogical emphases on audience analysis and adaptation in the field of technical writing are based largely on classical conceptions of audience and society. Traces the influences of rhetoricians who challenge the classical model as inadequate or inappropriate for contemporary rhetorical situations. (SKC)

Describes methods for producing collections of student writing, including such aspects as anthology book covers, layout, artwork, lettering, print runs, headlines and editorial philosophy. Also provides tips for successful collecting, and alternatives to an actual anthology, such as broadsides, poetry postcards, tiny books, videotaped readings,…

Class activity ideas presented include: the use of world records to teach superlatives; a unit on a new French city; storywriting; and creation of crossword puzzles to teach vocabulary and test comprehension. (MSE)

Reviews major themes in recent research on writing. Identifies problems that remain in the application of theory to practice, focusing specifically on writing in the content areas. (BSR)

Explores the concept of ambiity in semantic relationships, and discusses several causes of relational ambiguity, including differing world views, subtext construction, and selective focusing. Asserts that while most instances of relational ambiguity do not impair text comprehension, readers should be aware of possible ambiguities. (MM)

Focuses on the positive impact of the professional development model that has evolved from the initial set of principles and practices James Gray laid out for the Bay Area Writing Project at the University of California in Berkeley in l974. (NH)

The expository writing difficulties of exceptional students are examined in relationship to the writing process, expository text structures, and students' metacognitive knowledge. Approaches to the teaching of expository writing are discussed, and a dialogic approach, involving teacher modeling and a series of think sheets, is described.…

Describes an experiment introducing a word processor as a tool for writing in a fourth-grade classroom. Discusses resulting effects on the writing process, especially, revision and editing and on attitudes toward collaborative efforts. (SD)

Criticizes the California Assessment Program (CAP) prior to l987 for testing writing skills objectively. Describes the specific improvements in the new CAP Directed Writing Assessment which focuses on the most important characteristics necessary to a particular type of writing rather than those that are common to all types.(NH)

Describes a writing project designed to encourage eighth-grade students to examine their past with specific objectives to: (1) complement the speech and reading components of a theme on childhood and youth; (2) introduce or review basic mechanical skills and basic research skills; and (3) introduce basic tools of expressive writing.(NH)

Discusses a national program designed to encourage the integration of writing more fully into the college curriculum. Addresses the opportunities for improving writing instruction by focusing on the laboratory reports done by students. (TW)