Recounts a teacher's involvement with students in the spontaneous process of learning to write. Presents the benefits of such an approach as preferable to conventional structured methods of writing instruction. (HTH)

Free writing--writing without concern about spelling, grammar, and punctuation--provides students with opportunities to practice without being judged. Some free writing activities are described that allow teachers of subjects other than English to improve their students' writing skills without sacrificing time for their own subject. (JMD)

Presents suggestions and activities for teaching the imperfect and the "passe compose" in French second year classes. (AM)

Offers exercises for teaching basic writing students how to use derivational suffixes. (RL)

Illustrates a method of helping students learn to write paragraphs and to organize their writing using a group writing technique. (TJ)

Characterizes personal and open letters as less "ritualized" than more formal types. Refers to exercise types contained in English-teaching texts used in West Germany, and discusses possible themes and methodology for teaching. (IFS/WGA)

The article describes a special writing program for learning disabled high school students with the following four components: (1) writing exercises in class as well as at home; (2) peer and teacher evaluation of writing skills and samples; (3) reading comprehension; and (4) reading enhancement. (PHR)

Finger-snapping, toe-tapping music is a prelude to penmanship practice. (Editor)

A study of 58 students in fifth grade (4 with disabilities) examined consequences of a statewide performance assessment program using Curriculum-Based Measurement. Results found significant gains in written expression, but no progress in reading, and concluded that this probably reflected increased time in writing activities in preparation for the…

Discusses uses learning logs for student assessment. Defines learning logs. Discusses structuring the logs; student voices and responses; a map drawing assignment; and using logs for evaluation. (RS)

Offers two expository writing exercises that, machinelike, move from word to idea to arrive at rich and evocative connections. Shows how the first exercise, the four-column association, produces a free-form paragraph or poem following a freewriting warmup. Uses the term "placket" to describe the second exercise, a poem that has a set of…

A method of second-language instruction that acknowledges and reinforces the connection between ordinary and artistic uses of language is discussed. The theory, rationale, methods, and some sample activities for the approach are outlined. (MSE)

Shares a literature, writing, and art activity which kindergarten students participated in to develop a sense of conservation concerning rain forests. (MG)

Argues that grammar instruction can be more effective if put in a realistic context by: (1) becoming part of an integrated curriculum; and (2) concentrating on the proofreading stage of writing assignments. Illustrates integrating various components of the language-arts curriculum by briefly describing a unit using a short story. (RS)

Describes several activities designed as part of La Salle University's Writing across the Curriculum project to improve advanced Spanish composition skills. Activities involved both formal and informal writing assignments such as notetaking, job application letters, and thesis support essays. (CB)