In the English classroom, narrative writing is often separated from the work of reading literature or used merely to coax reluctant students into discussing textually relevant topics. This article discusses a close writing activity, Image Explosion, that engages students in narrative writing that brings attention to the smallest details of…

Since writing in the disciplines (WID) is focused on learning how to write formal documents of a professional register, it is important to note that each field or discipline has its own style, structure, and format when it comes to writing, and most composition courses seldom facilitate the transfer of these specialized skills in the classroom.…

A technique sometimes known as patterned prose or case book exposition is an effective way to improve student writing while also holding their interest. It may also help solve a problem pointed to by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP): students' inability to think about what they read. The technique is simple. The teacher…

Discusses ways to teach critical reading skills and writing production to adult learners of Spanish who already have a basic command of the essential grammatical structures, some aural comprehension and reading ability, and adequate capacity to communicate orally. Describes and provides examples of several sample exercises. (SED)

This article describes a simple in-class exercise in reading and writing that, by asking participants to write their own endings for a short narrative taken from the "Journal of the American Medical Association," prompts them to reflect on the problem of uncertainty in medicine and to apply the literary-critical techniques of close…

Suggests the importance of George Orwell's "1984" for today's students and recommends specific analytic and descriptive writing activities to develop critical reading skills. (MM)

This collection of documents constitutes the final report of the first year of Winchester High School's federally funded reading and writing across the curriculum program. The project director's report presents an overview of the program and discusses anticipated and actual outcomes, including: (1) more systematic reading and writing activities in…