The first volume of a three-volume study on the relationship between writing research and instruction, this report is divided into three sections covering discussions among researchers, practitioners, and instructional experts; studies of writing research; and instructional applications. The first section describes a series of five research/practice conferences on the following topics: (1) the major areas of writing research, (2) the relationship between language and writing among nonstandard English speakers, (3) communicating writing research to interested audiences, (4) computers in composition instruction, and (5) writing as a job skill. The second section presents an annotated bibliography of literature studies, summaries of research on the composing process and on research methodology, and a paper on applying writing research. The final section describes two instructional components: a filmstrip on helping students improve the quantity and quality of their writing and two prototype composition units suitable for use at the beginning of the third grade. (MM)