A longitudinal study investigated the development of children's writing over a 5-year period by examining how children use physical and symbolic representation systems that they have constructed to express meaning, how the meaning they intend is related to the social context and function of written language, and how this constructive process of…

Based on the premise that English and language arts curricula should be developed by committed teachers, this book is designed to help teachers use computers in a seamless way. Focusing on what and how students learn, the book is a practical and progressive guide, showing how technology can be infused into the English/language arts curriculum…

Editors of business and consumer magazines chosen by a random sample were asked in a mail survey what method they used in working with staff writers and free-lance writers. They were asked how they work with writers in the five stages of the writing process--idea, reporting, organizing, writing and rewriting. The first mailing to consumer…

Some of the major reading and writing practices currently in use in adult English-as-a-Second-Language programs are described in this digest. Reading activities for such learners are similar to those used in adult basic education classes. At the beginning level, students dictate stories to the teacher or give an oral account of an experience.…

This book presents 23 essays, research studies, and personal narratives on topics that reflect the neglect and frustration experienced by the "silent majority" in the field of composition within academia. The essays and their authors are as follows: "Tosca Was a Woman" (Susan Pepper Robbins); "Invisible Diversity: Gay and Lesbian Students Writing…

Two years ago the University of Tampa acquired the "BASIC SKILLS" software program developed by Computer Systems Research to help underprepared students bring their reading, writing, and mathematical skills up to college levels. Two studies were undertaken to determine the effectiveness of the software and to establish the most effective…

This report provides outcomes for the 1997-98 Monroe Community College's Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program, an effort designed to help students learn to write in all disciplines with the help of writing centers staffed by trained student writing fellows. The program focuses on improving the quality of services through renewed efforts to…

This paper examines the ways kindergarten teachers can help improve the writing skills of their students who are hesitant to write. The paper describes a project that modified the physical classroom environment, nurtured the emotional climate, and used other strategies, such as allowing more time to write, modeling functional writing, and valuing…

This guide presents a list of language skills that all students should know and be able to do at each grade level from kindergarten through sixth grade, as determined by the Idaho State Board of Education. It presents, grade by grade, a list of target skills and sample assessment methods. The guide also includes columns identifying three processes…

Despite the burgeoning use of authentic assessment, few studies have examined effects on students. In this study, 148 students in 15 grade 4-6 classrooms were taught over an 8-week period how to evaluate their work. Their self-reflections were later compared with those of 148 control group students. Treatment group students became more accurate in…

A study was based on a perceived need for creative writing improvement. A creative writing program was administered to three separate schools in two districts over an eight-week time period. The first district was in a middle class community with primarily White students. The other district was in a lower middle class community with primarily…

This study had three objectives: (1) to examine and describe factors that help to create a positive attitude toward learning; (2) to examine and describe factors that led to students' participation in the process-oriented approach; and (3) to examine and describe perceptions and experiences that students had involving the process-oriented…

This second issue of a new journal presents six essays all on the theme of the imagination. New programming at the Touchstone Center has begun to focus on the importance of finding new forums for reflecting upon the place of the imagination in people's lives. The essays in this issue come from presenters in recent public lectures and workshops…

In 1990, the state of Kentucky created a new school system through the Kentucky Educational Reform Act (KERA). While KERA mandates wide-ranging progressive reform, testing through the Kentucky Instructional Results Information System (KIRIS) makes sure teachers get the job done. Though all Kentucky teachers are involved in writing, those at the…

This document presents 13 keynote addresses and major papers presented at the 1997 and 1998 conferences of the Pennsylvania Association of Developmental Educators. The papers are: (1) "Developmental Education: History of Implications" (Hunter Boylan, 1997 keynote speaker); (2) "Learning and Teaching in the 21st Century: Seven Habits of Highly…