The articles in this journal issue present four methods for developing units in expository and creative writing instruction. The titles of the articles and their authors are as follows: (1) "A Writing Unit: Ten or Twenty Kids on Their 10-Speeds" (Joyce S. Steward); (2) "Great Painting, Great Writing" (Keith F. Voos); (3) "Building a Character:…

A product of Hawaii's Poets-in-the-Schools program, this second volume of a compilation of essays and poems addresses diverse artistic and educational concerns about poetry writing and is divided into two sections. Section I consists of essays by three of the poets who were involved in the program: (1) "Evaluating Student Poems" by Tim…

In a study to determine the effects of writing on the computer versus traditional writing by hand, 22 fourth grade students were randomly assigned to samples using either a computer or paper and pencil. The study hypothesized that (1) children are not more willing to revise and improve their writing using a word processor when compared to the…

The teaching activities presented in the four journal columns extracted here focus on understanding and writing poetry. The first column (by Carol Case) presents an introduction to poetry unit containing five preliminary steps designed to help students develop an understanding of poetry. The second column (by Carol Anderson) describes a week of…

This collection of essays by college and high school faculty represents a variety of practical approaches that can be used in composition classes. The essays and their authors are as follows (1) "Undercover Preparation" (Judy Anderson); (2) "Paragraph Development from Visualization: 'a paragraph ain't nothing but a sandwich!'"…

There has been a remarkable amount of production and publication of children's poetry since the 1960s. One of the early, popular anthologies of children's poetry was "Miracles" (Simon & Shuster, 1966), with poems from English-speaking countries revealing how imaginative children could be and their use of metaphors. "The Me Nobody Knows: Children's…

Noting that Master of Fine Arts (MFA) programs in writing are relatively new as compared to similar programs in dance, music, and painting, and that little is known about the writing progams by those not directly involved, a study sought to determine if (1) the MFA program in writing is a fairly standard entity from program to program, and (2) if…

The fourth part of a four-year K-12 curriculum guide project for teaching writing, this guide deals with the literary aim (or purpose) for creating composition--which challenges the individual to develop a creative style found in the novel, short story, drama, or poem, and which encompasses both fiction and nonfiction. The preface explains that…

Intended as a resource for teachers, this booklet contains suggestions and exercises to use in teaching creative writing. The booklet begins with a message to teachers about the writers-in-the-school program and tips on the teaching of creative writing. Following that are detailed exercises in four categories: memory, imagery, metaphor, and music.…

When handled well, description can give poetry and prose a quality of immediacy and accessibility by creating a dramatic context in which the writer's ideas and feelings can be shared by the reader. The use of perception stimulation can aid the student in producing effective images that lead to this dramatic context. To begin this learning…

In addition to writing short stories, poems, and plays, seniors enrolled in a creative writing course in a New York high school compose and illustrate children's stories. They first become familiar with published works of children's literature so that they can learn to identify and appreciate story devices used by professional writers. As the…

The teaching activities presented in this document focus on motivating students in the classroom. The paper describes (1) using stick figures to teach the use of adjectives, (2) using pen names in a covert letter writing project to teach writing skills, (3) increasing creativity in composition topics by brainstorming about ways to use bricks, and…

One of six student guidebooks in a series of 11 arts and humanities career exploration guides for grade 7-12 teachers, counselors, and students, this student book on exploration of writing careers presents information on specific occupations in four different career areas: Creative writers, editors, business occupations, and educators about…

Reflecting the view that a single formula for revolutionizing the teaching of writing is unavailable, this publication of the New York State English Council presents a series of articles dealing with various topics in the teaching of composition in high school and college settings. Subjects discussed include the following: the use of fables in the…