Discusses how teachers and parents can help children turn everyday experiences into topics to write about, whether in the form of personal journals, autobiographical essays, or poetry. (MDM)

This annotated list provides information about journals that might serve as markets for articles on the theory and practice of teaching writing at all educational levels. Each annotation contains the journal title, editor's name and address, and an editorial description that discusses the journal's subject area, the level of treatment, the…

Included among the 10 commandments for good writing are: (1) Write with verbs and nouns; (2) Write for yourself and other people; (3) Do not write in jargon; (4) Read aloud your writing; (5) Do not write cluttered sentences; and (6) Use concrete words and phrases. (JN)

Advice on writing the history of a college is offered. Until recently, there appear to have been few examples of rigorous, ongoing programs to record the facts regarding the founding and development of colleges. One problem is that much of the historical and detailed information relative to the development of colleges is not found in one…

Describing, evaluating, and interpreting the meaning and function of art objects provides language practice in seeking and giving information and in expressing reactions. Several suggestions for class activities and field trips using this technique are offered. (PMJ)

This book focuses on the integration of an individual's inner and outer landscape. It contains a series of invitations for young people to look out upon their own landscapes and to write the important themes of their lives. The writing experiences outlined in the book give children (and adults) space to become quiet and focused and to tap into…

Common pitfalls in technical writing and how to avoid them are outlined. These pitfalls include goobledygook words and phrases, plodding style, failure to follow the prescribed format for publication or proposals, misuse of words, inconsistencies, and failure to edit or proofread adequately. (MSE)

Maintains that the five-paragraph essay formula confuses and alienates students and undermines the basic goals of writing instruction. Advocates developing a repertoire of alternatives for teaching form. Suggests that using the metaphor of the essay as journey is one such teaching alternative. (SR)

Offering activities for secondary school students and amateur creative writers, this book demonstrates how teachers can break out of "high culture" stereotypes that make students think poetry has no connection with real life. Part one discusses the essentials of poetry and the roles of poets from ancient oral cultures to the present. The…

Placing a major emphasis on writing activity, this guide provides information and suggestions for implementing the Writing Process Curriculum in secondary schools. Following sections on the philosophy, aim, goals, and objectives of the Writing Process Curriculum, the guide outlines the stages of writing in the third section, including descriptions…

This document describes and illustrates an approach to expressive writing which employs student-authored books--"I Am The Author Books" (ITABs)--for use in individual and group counseling with children. It begins with a brief review of pertinent literature on expressive writing as a counseling intervention, and then describes experiences with…

Intended for teachers, students, and writers, this guide provides exercises for improving writing techniques and using literary devices. Following an introduction, the six chapters deal with the following techniques: (1) describing place, including observation and exaggeration; (2) describing people, including "inside/outside" portraits and…

Argues that comprehension is a problem-solving activity and that different problem-solving schemata exist for different types of texts, both narrative and expository. Suggests that good comprehension occurs when there is a match between the author's schemata and that of the reader, creating a dialogue between the writer and the reader. (JK)

The Nevada Writing Assessment Program has been developed, implemented, and facilitated by Nevada classroom teachers, who have adapted, designed, and continually revised the scoring criteria; designed the assessment writing prompts; evaluated and chosen anchor papers; led the scoring sessions and read and scored the student papers; and made the…

This report, designed especially for use by researchers, evaluators, and teachers, explores the practical implications of the composing process for writing instruction and assessment. An understanding of the actual process of text composition is presented as insights into how the acquisition of aspects of writing might be facilitated are explored.…