This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 12 titles deal with the following topics: (1) the effectiveness of a linguistically based and a nonlinguistically based spelling program on the spelling competency of elementary pupils; (2) the effectiveness of spelling activities on first and second grade students' spelling achievement; (3) the relationship between teaching behaviors and student achievement in learning to write essays about poetry; (4) the effect and value of letter names-as-phonics on the invented spelling ability of beginning first grade children; (5) the effects of a games approach for spelling instruction; (6) the effect of listening-reading transfer training on the listening and reading comprehension of fourth grade students; (7) the acquisition of word meaning from context by children of high and low vocabulary ability; (8) language arts in American middle schools from 1980 to 1983; (9) the effects of visual art experiences on spelling, reading, mathematical, and visual motor skills at the primary level; (10) the effects of differing vocabulary presentations on word meaning acquisition and reading comprehension; (11) spelling as a task-dependent ability; and (12) written spelling among students in grades four, eight, and twelve. (HOD)