Creative problem-solving can be used successfully in the writing classroom, for the problem-solving process involves three distinctive stages of thinking activity that remarkably parallel the prewriting steps in the composing process. Similar stages include: (1) data generation and preparation to write; (2) data manipulation and incubation; and…

A group of four brief papers provides ideas for teachers of writing and reading. "Writing to Learn" (Osvaldo Grijalva) focuses on writing as a process emphasizing experience and participation, and compares the traditional approach to writing instruction with a learning-process-oriented approach. "Teachers' Corner" (Rogelio Chavira) lists possible…

A study explored the complexities of audience adaptation by examining the relationships between writer/audience proximity, register, and overall quality in essays written for assigned audiences. Subjects, 100 college freshmen, each wrote one essay in response to two audience-specified tasks in which subjects were to write persuasive letters to…

Addressing parents, this pamphlet describes ways to help children learn to write well and thereby excel in school, enjoy self-expression, and become more self-reliant. Writing is discussed as a practical, job-related, stimulating, social, and therapeutic activity that receives inadequate attention in many schools. It is emphasized that writing is…

Based on recent findings in writing research, this document offers the following recommendations on how teachers can improve the writing skills of their students: (1) spend time on activities that require real writing rather than short answers and fill-in-the-blank exercises; (2) have students spend more time putting their thoughts on paper in a…

The process of travel can be combined with the parallel process of research by developing a writing project assignment that uses the "Travels of William Bartram," an eighteenth-century account of a naturalist's journey through the Carolinas. Students can be asked to select a point on Bartram's original itinerary and retrace his discovery…

In-class writing assignments using such techniques as non-thought warmups, lead-sentences, completion, rewording, and wordbanks (write a paragraph using a given list of words), and debriefing can be used on a regular basis in the content areas without decreasing time spent on content and without increasing the time spent grading papers. The…

The principal addresses at this Women's Leadership Conference on Fitness were: (1) "Keynote Address" (C. Carson Conrad); (2) "Essential Nature of Fitness" (Lawrence E. Lamb); (3) "Effects of Exercise on Women from 20-50 Years Old" (Sharon Plowman); (4) "Fitness in Older Women" (Everett L. Smith); (5) "Female Musculo-Skeletal System" (Robert P.…

This publication on fantasy and folklore is a collection of puzzles, games, stories, exercises, activities, and other ideas for teachers. Materials and their authors include: (1) "Once upon a Plot" (Joyce Bennett); (2) "Kennings" (Marjorie Merwin); (3) "Putting a Hex On" (Marilyn Kahl); (4) "What's Your…

Theory and research indicated that sentence-combining exercises (SCE's) might be effective for improving the writing of learning disabled (LD) pupils. Seven college seniors in special education were trained to implement SCE's naturalistically in tutoring 13 LD pupils in grades 1-6 over a 10 week period, with a control group of 8 seniors tutoring…

Perhaps because of their familiarity with joke telling, students often do their best writing when using humor. In both telling jokes and creating humorous works, students need to develop a strong sense of audience, an awareness of the importance of vivid description, a strong sense of purpose, and the ability to use punctuation for effect. The…

With a central theme of how people create a means to communicate reliably, and based on language-making exercises that touch students' imaginations, this book aims to interest students in language and how language is made. Since students like codes and ciphers, the book begins with secret writing, which is then used to reveal the foundation of…

Intended for teachers, students, and for anyone who is dissatisfied with his or her understanding of writing, this book is focused on practical exercises and experiments. The first section of the book, "What Writing Is," consists of two chapters of primary interest to teachers, and provides a general orientation to the document's approach. The…

This workbook contains ten short stories by modern masters aimed at young adult readers, with each story followed by a concise lesson on a basic element of literature (such as plot, setting, or mood) clearly illustrated in the story. Some of the authors represented in the book are John Updike, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Carson McCullers, and Ray…

In a continuation study, 12 students with dyslexia participated in muscle testing and exercises. Six areas were evaluated via pre- and post-tests: academics (using measures of spelling, reading, and math); parental observations of changes in their children (behavioral, academic or affective); perceptual drawing; oral reading; written language; and…