This study considers the relative benefits for vocabulary learning of exposure to two types of texts--literary or nonliterary--used with two teaching approaches. These approaches were termed "functional and creative", respectively. In the former, learners' attention was drawn to factual information and linguistic features in order to…

This paper presents a systematic literature review of studies about writing in elementary schools. A systematic search of databases was conducted to select studies. The aim was to identify and categorize difficulties and suggestions. A total of 52 articles published in peer-reviewed journals over the past 21 years were reviewed and analyzed using…

A socio-constructivist approach to writing pedagogy recognises the importance of participant relationships in argumentation in disciplinary writing, although awareness of the rhetorical resources available to achieve this dialogic partnership between writer and reader can be difficult to teach. The highly metadiscursive nature of feedback…

The purpose of the study was to (a) design and examine the effects of a yearlong professional development model on the writing quality of 3rd to 5th graders across genres and on their teachers' confidence, and (b) to make revisions based on results and teacher's feedback. Participants were 11 teachers, 273 students, and a principal. The study had…

Literature for children and youth has long played a pivotal role in growing students' literacy lives in schools. Fine literature, whether self-selected by students as choice reading or paired with teachers' thoughtful instruction, can launch students into personally meaningful and intellectually stimulating opportunities to read, respond,…

Previous research has established the importance of giving and receiving feedback in students' writing development. In the present paper, I investigate a less widely studied approach to providing feedback--the small group writing conference, which is attended by a number of students (usually four) and led by the teacher to discuss student drafts.…

Writing to persuade is an important writing purpose that students and learners need to develop and use both in their academic lives and in the workplace. The Common Core State Standards set specific expectations for students' opinion writing starting from Kindergarten. This article explains the use of response to reading as a way to introduce…

The aim of this study is to describe and analyse the writing discourse in one classroom and how students learn through studying a topic, i.e. the teaching and learning of written argument. The study takes its stance from a sociocultural perspective and is influenced by discourse analyses, new literacy studies and critical literacy (Fairclough…

This study examines the writing of 30 engineering students, faculty response, students' reading of the response, subsequent revision, and faculty evaluation to ask what factors contribute to constructive conversation about writing. It affirms previous research that suggests engineering faculty do not provide the facilitative commentary widely…

A former editor of "Scholastic Voice" speculates on why one set of writing assignments, based on reader response to writings by a handicapped teenager, produced such outstanding results. Describes the uncommonly high involvement of student readers, who wrote over 3,000 letters to the author, and undertook classroom writing with…

Shares personal and profound experiences that permitted the emergence of a method of response to literature, circles of meaning, including excerpts of a master's thesis case study of a student making meaning of short stories using the method. Notes some of the learnings that this experience brought into the author's work with education students.…

Considers the significant processes shared by the acts of reading and writing. Argues for the use of literary response to enhance the productivity of the reading-writing connections. Discusses literary reading and response and their potential pedagogical value in reading-writing activities. (HB)

Discusses one teacher's use of ungraded reading logs in which students record quotations and their reactions to them. Points out that logs give students writing practice, involve all students in discussions, force students to read closely, and allow students to think about their reading. (ARH)

Contends that the value of writing as a powerful tool for teaching reading is often underestimated. Explains that when students write and revise their writing, they are reading to make sure what they have written is clearly understood by themselves and their audience. Notes that for many students, reading what someone else thinks stimulates their…

Discusses a literature-inspired model of teaching writing and two scenarios of reading and writing connections in the classroom. Presents several reading and writing lessons drawn from the children's book "The Bat Boy and His Violin" by Gavin Curtis. Discusses Curtis' craft and demonstrates how to use this book to teach writing. Includes brief…