A teacher describes what happens when professional writers are invited into his college composition classroom to talk about and show the processes they employ in revising their work, and reports that students benefit not only by hearing about but also by actually seeing successive drafts. In the class, the students begin the semester by analyzing…

An Educational Specification Committee was convened to determine the design specifications required for a new middle school in Roseville, California's Dry Creek District. This report presents revisions to an earlier document that examined school room specifications for each grade level and administrative area. Specification considerations are…

Reviews two recent articles on computer use in the English classroom. Discusses ways that word processing programs for microcomputers can be used to teach revision. Identifies the equipment and software requirements for using the approach and discusses practical benefits. (DMM)

Presents an instructive outline for writing a research paper for National History Day. Organizes the process into three steps: (1) select an interesting topic; (2) develop a strong thesis; and (3) write a well-constructed paper. Includes hints on organization, technical matters, editing, and readability. (DK)

Suitable for grades K-6, the paper presents guidelines for evaluating various levels of writing ability. Also presented are a description of a four-phase writing process model and a list of components necessary for a good writing program. Characteristics of superior, typical, and weak writing are presented on a continuum according to the student's…

An Educational Specification Committee was convened to determine the design specifications required for a new K-5 (and temporarily 6-8 grade) elementary school in Roseville, California's Dry Creek District. This report presents revisions to an earlier document that examined school room specifications for each grade level and administrative area.…

As a result of difficulty in applying linguistic theory to teaching remedial writing to college students, a technique was developed that uses comparisons of spoken and written English to assist in composition and revision. Specific techniques and examples are outlined. (MSE)

Techniques for teaching writing should emphasize revision and editing, practice in sentence-combining, and exposing students to fine prose. To encourage good writing in all subjects, teachers should be trained to read students' essays holistically, paying attention to style as well as content. (PP)

Writing teachers can enable students to think critically by teaching composition courses according to two principles: sequencing and revision. The teaching of a basic reading and writing course for college freshmen illustrates how writing, taught from a discovery perspective and in conjunction with selected readings, can develop students' ability…

This book, featuring teacher writers from all levels of education, offers consciousness-raising stories of the teachers' first steps toward authorship, advice for all aspects of the Writing process, suggestions for conducting writing groups, and a wealth of insider information on how to develop quality articles for professional journals and get…

An activity for developing English reading skills that has proved motivating for various student groups is described. The technique, which involves reconstruction of jumbled passages, is suggested for teaching English for Special Purposes. Sample materials are included. (MSE)

The synthesis of four instructional models for argumentative writing--the Toulmin, Hiduke, Winder, and Crebbe-Debate approaches--with basic discourse theory produces a practical and positive method of teaching college students to write effective persuasive essays. A battery of questions based on a modified communication triangle--subject…

Contractual revision promotes cooperation between teachers and tutors and, being student initiated, provides a method to increase student control over the revision process and encourage students to communicate their strengths and weaknesses in writing to their teachers or tutors. The contractual revision process requires students to form contracts…

Protocol analysis and a literature review were used to determine the ways novice and expert writers, from elementary to postsecondary levels, deal with the cognitive processes that constitute writing. They found that writing is goal-directed, writing goals are hierarchically organized, and writers accomplish their goals through planning, sentence…

Microcomputers are useful for writing in classrooms, especially if they are integrated into the classroom context through writing activities appropriate to this medium. Elementary school students' uses of microcomputers to: (1) create a newspaper; (2) send electronic messages; and (3) write reports or letters using interactive text programs are…