Poses the theory that teaching is telling a story about the acquisition of knowledge. Explores the approaches of four composition textbooks using the pattern of heroic adventure (separation, initiation, and return) as a basis for comparison. Concludes that the implied educational values in texts should be considered conscientiously by teachers.…

Explores the concept of peer writing groups by reviewing research and offering a plan for preparing, training, monitoring, and evaluating the peer writing group. (SD)

Suggests that technical writing theory, which views the writing process as a process of design, can be applied in the writing classroom. Presents several strategies for teaching design, including teaching editing by levels, making better assignments, and stressing organization. (MM)

Argues that using literature in writing classes can teach students how to think, make meaning, and compose, and that in order to improve students' writing through reading, teachers must increase their emphasis on the aesthetic reading stance, which synthesizes an individual's feelings, thoughts, and observations to form meaning from a text. (MM)

The article identifies five modes of thinking--defensive, productive, adaptive, elaborative, and developmental. Case studies of artistic, creative writing illustrate the modes. A writing program designed to identify and develop these thinking modes is described. (Author/DB)

The article considers the research basis for use of word processing with learning disabled fourth grade students, notes the special demands word processing makes on teachers and students in the initial learning stage, and suggests instructional approaches. (DB)

Discusses some of the theoretical and practical issues concerning initial writing instruction in kindergarten and first grade. (BB)

Offers suggestions for teaching writing as a process, running a workshop classroom, teaching sentence combining, and evaluating student papers. (SRT)

Discusses how role-taking can provide a viewpoint for a writer and a real audience for children's writing. Argues that role-taking offers a more accessible route to certain kinds of language uses, particularly impersonal genres and written standard forms that are educationally valued, than direct instruction. (SRT)

Describes a college composition course in which the class read and evaluated newspaper articles from the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" as it critically addressed the operations of subtexts, genres, target readers, and class interests. (JD)

Discusses how the development of critical thinking skills is inhibited in many students because they under-conceptualize the context in which controversy occurs. Suggests ways to raise students' awareness of being involved in a continuing debate, such as using written dialogue as a basis for extending a writing assignment that combines exposition,…

Examined the number and types of classroom writing experiences in which elementary teachers and children in grades one, three, and five were engaged. Two major influences on instructional practices also were analyzed: teachers' perceptions of writing instruction and textbook guidelines. (DST)

Suggests the teacher-written essay as a useful way for writing teachers to respond to student writing and at the same time become people who write. (EL)

Reflects on personal existential familiarity and application of old ways of teaching to produce "nothing new" but rather something effective by letting students find their own lamps and their own solutions to writing problems. (JK)

Explores the nature of court litigation concerning academic accountability and malpractice. Discusses the implications of such litigation for writing instructors, and presents questions writing teachers should ask themselves in preparation for possible law suits. (HTH)