In 1987, a Dallas (Texas) elementary school principal developed a Writing to Read to the Principal program to motivate students' mastery of reading and writing in a school where over 80 percent of the students are economically disadvantaged. The program has strengthened the bond among students, parents, teachers, and the principal. Includes six…

Reflects on the "collusive" teamwork required of teachers who share the responsibility and pleasure of teaching 59 sixth graders with diverse educational needs. In a traditional school, many of these students would leave the regular classroom for assistance, appearing "uncool" to others. These teachers' encouragement and…

Insights from first- and second-language learning research have been used to help prepare a process-based writing course for large nonnative speaker classes at a commercial and technical university in Austria. Methods used during the 21-hour course are described, including think-aloud writing tapes. (Contains 32 references.) (Author/LB)

Gives seven responses from practicing English teachers concerning ways that they have implemented the writing of various kinds of letters by students into the English curriculum. Demonstrates the efficacy and success of such methods. (HB)

Using ingenuity and an IBM grant, an assistant professor of special education paired 40 teacher education students in her methods courses with middle-school writing partners from the teachers' classes for moderately handicapped students. Using electronic mail, the pairs communicated often on various topics. Friendships developed, along with…

This article describes a course to teach college students with learning disabilities how to become self-regulated learners in writing, through strategies in prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, evaluation, and comprehension. Forms for writing self-assessment are attached. (DB)

This article profiles a group of college students with learning disabilities, outlines strategies used to help those students in their 100-level expository-writing class, and illustrates persistent writing problems with three student writing samples. This study revealed that, even with explicit support, students whose learning disabilities had an…

The RAFT technique (Santa 1988) is a writing strategy that helps students understand their "Role" as a writer, the "Audience" they will address, various "Formats" for writing, and the expected "Topic" or content. This article discusses the RAFT writing strategy used by the students to address land development issues. The authors facilitated…

Mikhail Bakhtin's understanding of the medieval carnival--a time when life is turned upside down, social hierarchies are lifted, and the lines between performer and participant are blurred--provides a useful framework for understanding both liberatory and potentially threatening aspects of writing workshops in elementary schools. An experimental…

Discusses adolescent anxieties, rebelliousness, and media preferences in the 1990s, especially Hip Hop, and relates today's trends to past trends, from Sinatra to Break Dancing. Suggests classroom activities using music and music videos: analyzing fans; providing biographies, discographies, lyrics; writing reviews of albums and videos; studying…

Examines the writing and translation processes of second-language learners both in their native and second languages. Results indicate that most students used a "what-next" approach in their writing tasks in both languages and a "sentence-by-sentence" approach in the translation task. Attention patterns in both writing tasks…

A detailed description of the five-step scaffolded story writing process is provided and four case examples of the written narratives of adolescents with communication disabilities are presented. Implications for speech and language intervention include successfully connecting the individualized education program goals with the core curriculum.…

Compares strategies for conjunction in spoken English and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) writing. The article illustrates how ESL writers use "because" clauses to indicate the knowledge base for their assertions, to introduce independent segments, and to display links between sections of discourse. (44 references) (Author/CK)

This article reviews research associated with instructional programs on writing strategies that are part of the "Learning Strategies Curriculum." The research shows that secondary students with disabilities can learn to use complex writing strategies to such an extent that they can write multi-paragraph themes appropriate for general education…

Discusses a hierarchy of concerns tutors can use in working with ESL writers. Suggests that the student's understanding of the assignment, development of a thesis, logical organization, and fully developed ideas all supplant minor issues, such as improper use of the definite article or subject/verb agreement. (NB)