Cognitively-based writing instruction for educationally disadvantaged students is examined, focusing on epistemic writing. The object of epistemic writing is to inquire into a particular topic and to familiarize/persuade the reader with the fruits of the investigation. In reviewing the distinctions between novice and expert writers, two models of…

Specifically intended to address the teaching of spelling, this description of an elementary school program in Australia deals with many of the pedagogical problems that arise in whole language classrooms, and suggests ways for teachers to integrate a process approach to spelling with process writing to create a total language program. Following…

Intended as an aid for English teachers in planning a senior-year composition program that takes into account both the strengths and the weaknesses in the writing of their students, an analysis of teacher evaluations of student writings (the Early English Composition Assessment Program--EECAP) is conducted annually by the Ohio Writing Project.…

A tutor charged with the task of helping a third-grade child with good reading skills improve his writing skills developed a plan to move the student gradually from dictating stories to writing independently. The student had difficulty initiating and maintaining on-task behavior and disliked writing independently, although he had…

Previous studies on emergent literacy have shown that since young children learn a lot about writing and reading before they attend school, teachers can build on this knowledge in an integrated instructional program. But just how reading and writing are intertwined in the learning process has not been clearly defined. This study investigated the…

A case study was conducted in which a teacher followed the progress of a first grade boy over the course of a semester, collecting samples of his written work and observing his interaction with peers. The teacher came to understand how the boy expressed his uniqueness in his writing, and how important it is for all students to be allowed to use…

Sentence combining is a powerful tool for structuring information and can be used effectively throughout the composing process. The teaching of composition can integrate into the composing process a number of concepts, including the use of heuristics, intellectual strategies, organizing principles, and sentence combining. A useful model for the…

One of the tasks for the British National Curriculum Council has been to identify steps toward proficiency in the English language and, on that basis, issue descriptions of appropriate progress for students at each level and stage. There is a danger that teachers may view these steps as a linear sequence of accomplishments, each to be achieved in…

An instructors' manual describing the "Write-Now" approach to teaching writing to adult students preparing for the General Educational Development (GED) test together with a final report describing the project that developed the manual is presented. Topics covered in the 16 chapters of the manual include the following: what we believe…

At a time when many public school teachers and administrators are limiting instructional goals to the lower level objectives found on standardized tests, there is a need for classroom activities derived from higher purposes. Conceptual analysis, which relates abstract concepts to the lives of students, meets this need. While focusing primarily on…

An approach to promote student editing of their own compositions, to be used in intermediate English as a second language classes, is discussed. Although editing or monitoring may not improve the communicative accuracy of a written message, it may give the message a more native-like quality. Monitoring works best on morphemes which are acquired…

Even young children can be encouraged to write through the use of individual communication, group discussions, and activities that involve rhythms and music. Such activities create a classroom of children who feel comfortable and happy, who share a rapport with their peers and others throughout the school building, and who feel free to express…

Literature, language, and composition are integrated in this collection of 30 model teaching units for grades 9-12. The units are concerned with (1) the explication and comparison of novels by Hemingway, Wilder, Kipling, and Knowles, (2) short story techniques used by writers from Poe to Joyce, (3) poetic structure and themes as demonstrated in…

This study aimed at expanding a new field of educational measurement, by investigating the feasibility of using computer programs for the automatic analysis and evaluation of student writing. Essays written by secondary students in their English classes were rated by multiple independent judges on a number of traits usually considered important:…

Ideas for stimulating student writing and for publishing a school magazine to provide that writing with an audience are presented in this book. Creative writing programs and literary magazines for both elementary and secondary grades are discussed; the role of the literary magazine in the English program is evaluated; and the value of a student…