Examines the writing of sixth graders to explore the issue of writing competence. Discusses how form allows young writers to achieve control over a writing task. (MS)

Describes a study-reading strategy called PLAN (Prediction, Locate, Add, Note), based on recent research, which helps students develop strategic approaches to reading. Discusses teaching PLAN to college students in a developmental reading class and describes adapting it for middle school students. (SR)

Discusses the experiences of a poetry writing teacher who teaches poetry to second-grade through high school physically challenged children using art as inspiration. Includes numerous examples of students' poetry, which demonstrate the depth, variety, complexity, and originality that art can bring out. (RS)

Reprints a 1980 article from this journal which responds to another article from the same year in the same journal and which argues that a writing teacher's joy is to help students develop both a caring self and a skillful mind. Updates the article with an Afterword commenting on the earlier piece. (SR)

Discusses the dilemmas and the benefits, both academic and personal, involved in the personal essay writing class. Notes that students often pick painful topics to write about, and looks at research in trauma theory and cognitive psychology for information to help students move from a narrative that skims the top of their experience to images that…

Describes how professional writers from Bell Northern Research, enrolled in a professional writing program, designed a quick reference guide for in-house use, and then provided a theoretical framework to ground and explain their visual design choices. Offers the instructor's theoretical reflections on how visual design can motivate readers to read…

States the importance of content in the process writing classroom. Demonstrates with "cultural texts" (texts about the daily realities of the students on topics of domesticity and family, violence, evolving sexuality, and future aspirations) that not only how children write, but also what they write about, is of critical importance in helping them…

Describes the beginning and growth of "WriteNow," a school publication which provides a forum for all classroom writing (from creative writing to a well-crafted physics essay) by students of all levels (from basic to honors). (SR)

Explores fifth graders' audience awareness when they compose and revise an original text for two audiences (a good third grade reader and an experienced adult reader) in a realistic transactional writing task. Finds that they successfully revised texts to address expectations of both audiences but were more successful for the third grade readers.…

Describes an oral history assignment in a U.S. history class in which limited English proficiency students interview a U.S. immigrant. (SR)

Describes how one high school teacher used journal writing and a paper to focus students awareness on prejudice and lack of human compassion in their own school. (SR)

Describes how, at the Alice Carleson School in Fort Worth, Texas, elementary school students have ongoing sources for meaningful writing tasks as they participate in the business of school. Offers examples written by students of in-house memos, letters organizing a conference, and solutions to school problems. (SR)

Describes the Peacemaking program at the Downtown Alternative School, an elementary school in Toronto, Canada. Provides a context of understandings about theory and classroom practices involving struggles with conflict and differences. (SR)

Discusses students' use of HyperCard, a program for the Macintosh, to create innovative, multimedia presentations of ideas across the curriculum. Presents samples of students' presentations. (MG)

Describes how "The Sleeper" was used with third and fourth grade students to inspire them to use a variety of verbs. Shares several examples of poems the students wrote after discussing Whitman's poem. (MG)