Suggests that writing conferences can help students become less teacher-dependent in their writing. (DD)

The third article in a series describing a study of the development of a third grader's approach to revision in writing. (DD)

Brief individual conferences between teacher and student during the course of writing a composition helps the student to clarify his or her thinking on the topic, thus improving writing skills and developing enthusiasm and pleasure in written communication. (JD)

This fourth article in a series on the writing process describes one child's writing process and draws implications for teaching first grade writing. (DD)

Children's dependence upon the teacher in all aspects of the writing process in the elementary classroom must be replaced by the development of self-critical tools in the young writer. To help this development, the teacher should look at the nature of the writing process, with its three steps of precomposing, composing, and postcomposing, and then…

An examination of writing as communication for one's self and for other audiences outlines four essentials to a successful writing-process program: (1) adequate provision of time, (2) child choice of writing topic, (3) response to child meaning, and (4) establishment of a community of learners. Study programs, as well as additional reading…

Presents early data on revision which emerged from a two-year study of the writing processes of 16 primary school children. (DD)

Describes the findings of a year's study on the status of writing in America, England, and Scotland, concentrating on reasons for the lack of writing and the conditions under which good writing occurs. (DD)

A study of eight language arts textbooks to determine how well they reflect recent findings regarding the writing process. (DD)

Follows changes in children's writing from the first through fourth grade, presenting case study data that show how children's writing shifts from play to craft. (GT)

Differences among students in writing behaviors were found according to learning environments, sex, and developmental factors. (JH)

Reports classroom observations and dialogues with children that show children's understandings and use of punctuation; reports data showing that children in a class in which punctuation was taught in the context of writing learned more about punctuation than children in a class in which it was taught in isolation. (ET)

Presents findings from an in-depth study of children's composing processes in an effort to explain handwriting performance in relation to child development and the writing process. (GT)

Discusses characteristics of lifetime writers: seeing writing's purpose, initiating writing, expressing their own voice, and working well alone. Teachers can encourage this behavior by demonstrating writing, allowing time and choice, using writing skills frequently, demonstrating writing conventions, expecting more, and responding to writing. (SM)

The first of a series of columns which will describe the progress of a longitudinal research project on the writing process funded by the National Institute of Education for two years. (DD)