As one of five modules focusing on writing skills, this module on parts of speech is intended for use in a one-semester course on written communication or as a supplement to other courses where written communication skills are included. Designed for both teacher-directed and individualized learning situations, this module contains learning…

As one of five modules focusing on writing skills, this module on punctuation, capitalization, and abbreviations is intended for use in a one-semester course on written communication or as a supplement to other courses where written communication skills are included. The materials, designed so that they may be used in either teacher-directed or…

Devised by participants in a summer workshop focusing on writing in the content areas, this guide contains activities for improving writing skills at all grade levels. The various sections of the guide provide the following: (1) a general discussion of teaching writing in all subject areas; (2) ways to use interviews to gather information for use…

The results of an informal, random survey that examined the freshman English offerings in 23 two-year and four-year colleges are contained in this paper. Among the findings reported are the following: (1) the majority of schools surveyed used a placement test of some kind, and over half required students to enroll in a particular course based on…

The seven major articles in this journal issue are devoted to literature and to literary analysis. The articles deal with the following topics: (1) collapse and regeneration in Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself," (2) freedom and identity in "Invisible Man," (3) the character of St. John Rivers in "Jane Eyre," (4) integrating poetry study and…

Although the acts of reading literature and writing are closely linked, literature study and composition instruction remain distinct pursuits within college English departments. Style seems to be an interest that unifies the two pursuits. The most common view of style equates it with acceptable rhetorical and grammatical conventions. A second view…

To examine the effect of placement in freshmen English classes on the way students perceived themselves as writers, a college English instructor conducted an informal comparison of the attitudes of freshman English students with those of tutor-trainees. Both groups of students were asked to write a description of themselves as writers with no…

Several articles of interest to teachers of English as a second language (ESL) are included. The teaching of literacy skills in migrant classes is considered in "An Approach to Reading and Writing for the New Language Learner" by Pat O'Brien. Gloria Keil demonstrates how news of recent events can be brought to the notice of migrants in…

A study was conducted to test the proposition that the act of oral reading would be significantly different between competent and incompetent writers and the corollary proposition that the act of oral reading closely approximates the act of writing. A writing sample was devised that included three major features: all the common marks of…

In addition to helping students revise thoughtfully by placing them in situations where revision matters, advanced composition instructors can use the complementary method of discourse analysis scales. These scales provide advanced writers with ample data for making decisions about revisions, and for identifying relevant semantic, syntactic, and…

A kindergarten/first grade writing curriculum was developed that used literature as a model for writing and that was based on learning theories and assumptions. The curriculum was developed in a five-step sequence: (1) a theoretical base was established based on cognitive developmental, psycholinguistic, and metaphoric mode theories. Teaching and…

The twenty-four articles in this collection focus on the problems presented by the increasing numbers of exceptional students with whom the English classroom teacher must deal: physically, emotionally, and mentally handicapped; nonnative speakers of English; nontraditional students; speakers of nonstandard dialects; the gifted and talented; and…

This booklet offers teachers of mainstreamed educationally disadvantaged and learning disabled students some practical strategies for tailoring general writing assignments to meet individual needs. The concept of mainstreaming is discussed in part one, and general strategies for composition teachers are listed in part two. Part three describes 13…

A variety of components that operate in tutoring writing are examined in this paper. Discussed are (1) the importance of the tutor's language, tone of voice, and verbal interaction with the students; (2) active listening techniques; (3) establishing an atmosphere of trust and acceptance; (4) helping students develop a framework for understanding…

This booklet is one of a series of teacher-written curriculum publications launched by the Bay Area Writing Project, each focusing on a different aspect of the teaching of composition. The first part of the booklet describes a college writing center and the tutorial teaching that takes place in the center. The second part reports a case study of a…