Describes a writing assignment that leads students to see the complexities of cause and effect relationships by having them analyze a complicated court case and decide who is right and who is wrong in the case. (FL)

Explains how to implement and use a peer editing program. (FL)

Intended primarily for Kentucky classroom teachers and administrators, this idea book first identifies three major issues that members of the Writing Advisory Committee felt should be addressed so that writing instruction will not suffer because of use of the writing portfolio. The broad issues emphasized in the idea book are for teachers to: (1)…

Comprehensive and practical, this book provides resources, strategies, and assessments that seamlessly weave writing into everyday classroom routines. The resources in the book include reproducible student worksheets, transparency masters, teacher and student examples, and technology tips in the form of Web site addresses. Strategies throughout…

Suggestions are offered of ways to encourage the development of writing skills through the supportive sharing and provision of feedback. Suggestions are included for classroom writers' circles, writers' conferences, and editing/revising strategies. (DB)

Combining the journal writing process with the concepts of collaboration can produce more focused writing and learning. Through the channel of collaborative situations, such as group journal writing, teachers can capitalize on the benefits achieved from the collaborative process and cultivate thinking and writing skills. A group journal writing…

Dialogue journals are recommended in this digest for teachers who want to involve every student in a literacy practice that unites reading and writing and encourages thinking and reflection. The digest first explains that dialogue journals are useful because they use writing as a genuine means of communication between student and teacher. Dialogue…

The teaching activities presented in this pamphlet focus on spelling. The pamphlet begins with a discussion of the relationship between spelling and writing. Following that, it describes a language experience approach and its implications, the benefits of daily writing, and the kind of writing that allows a successful spelling program to operate.…

Written by teachers for teachers, this book, the first publication of the Oklahoma Writing Project, contains a collection of articles which describe successful strategies and activities for teaching composition. The articles, which deal with a variety of topics, listed with their authors, are as follows: (1) The Writing Process (Gail E. Tompkins…

The progress of students enrolled in the writing center of a midwestern university was evaluted after one semester. Subjects were 35 students who had taken the first semester of a two-semester composition course and had failed to meet the guidelines for correctness established for the course. After writing a pretest essay, students were tutored…

To force students--at the very beginning of the writing process--to be aware of audience and to gain insight into their own writing, in-class writing and sharing exercises can be invaluable. For example, students can present to the class their subject for an upcoming paper, with the class responding on paper to such questions as: (1) What do you…

Presents a "real life" business communication problem as a basis for class discussion. Suggests ways in which students can be encouraged to develop a persuasive solution. Refers to a checklist of various content possibilities for an effective sales letter. Includes figures and a copy of the actual announcement sent. (JD)

Described are strategies that help writing-disabled students improve handwriting skills (e.g., provide models, use prompting and fading techniques, teach proofing skills) and strategies that allow students to circumvent handwriting problems so they can concentrate on the subject matter content (e.g., typewriters, computers, oral reports and…

Offers a method, based on the example of medical case histories, of charting basic writers' progress in order to diagnose and try to resolve their writing problems. Argues that the chart is an effective strategy for improving the work of basic writers. (SRT)

Advocates demonstrating writing as a teaching method and compares it to teaching skiing and pottery. (EL)