Presents a profile of children's author Brian Jacques. Discusses his writing and where he finds his inspiration. Explores four of his books. Discusses his interaction with his editors. (SG)

Describes an interactive inservice program designed to show teachers that children are capable of writing long pieces of discourse with appropriate conventions if motivated through instruction or internal interest. Suggests that writing should be filled with multiple opportunities for discovery and play. (RS)

Discusses how a professional writer and teacher of writing helps children write better by incorporating specific images taken from their "screens"--the places where they see things in their heads. Presents numerous examples of students' poems. Notes the "screens" can also be used in writing stories or essays. (RS)

Reviews approximately 15 years of exploration of children's emergent writing and the transition into conventional writing, covering the period from infancy through first grade. Illustrates a progression from descriptions of children's proficiencies to collaborations between classroom- and university-based educators that are aimed at increasing…

Research studies in the areas of children's writing and reading interests are reported.

Teachers should encourage children to write in order to help them understand their feelings of anger, hurt, guilt, and so on.

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)

Describes how a seventh-grade teacher was able to devise a final examination that both reflected the goals of his process-oriented writing class and met the requirements of his school board. (ARH)

Team writing and shared ideas are interpersonal experiences that motivate children to write. (JH)

Observes that children are ready to write when they understand what writing does, when they are interested in writing, when they want to communicate through writing, and when they understand that written symbols represent meaning. (RL)

Describes the ERIC system and how teachers can use it. Annotates materials in the system of interest to elementary school language arts teachers, dealing with composition instruction. (HTH)

Documents one child's development in reading and writing in a remedial program and raises questions about the possible advantages of integrating instruction in writing into remedial programs. (HTH)

Describes the positive effects that interviewing classroom guests had on the reading and communication skills of first-grade children, offers observations about what happens to children and their language when they conduct interviews, and suggests guidelines for planning and directing an interviewing program. (ET)