A whole-class exercise used in college composition classes to demonstrate the writing process is described. The class works together to produce a collaborative paper, in rough draft, in one hour. Steps used to produce it include specification of topic, discussion of purpose and audience, prewriting for ideas, development of thesis and outline,…

This article describes how computer center sign-up sheets encouraged preschool children with a variety of disabilities to make visible advances in their emergent writing skills over the years. The children progressed from making scribbles to making recognizable letter-symbols on the sign-up sheets. Tips for creating sign-up sheets are provided.…

This document consists of the first three issues of a newsletter written by the members of the Making Thinking Visible Project. The first newsletter describes collaborative planning as it related to writing, discusses school projects using collaborative planning, presents a dialogue between two students using the process, and compares…

Offering advanced writers the opportunity to present their research findings in the form of an I-Search paper yields a more enriching experience for them and a better "read" for their audience. In the past 2 years, students in upper-level undergraduate courses--like Advanced Composition and Teaching and Evaluating Writing and graduate…

This guide outlines the process for writing a research proposal for classroom research on second language teaching, and suggests that this process is an important step in the process of planning and implementing the study itself. The format of such a proposal is first outlined, and each element (title, introduction, methodology, analysis,…

"Classroom Notes Plus" publishes descriptions of original, unpublished teaching practices or adapted ideas. Each issue also contains sections on Teacher Talk, Classroom Solutions, and Web resources. The August 1999 issue contains the following materials: Ideas from the Classroom-"Parody: Getting the Joke with Style" (Bonnie…

This article provides college teachers with specific suggestions for improving students' writing styles and techniques. Elements of readability, sentence structure and combination, and overall construction are outlined and stylistic strategies are explained with numerous examples. (MSE)

Emphasizing that Literacy Links is a program for young children with little exposure to literacy activities at home, the book explains exactly how Literacy Links works to provide the background knowledge these children need to succeed. The book offers strategies to help literacy-deprived young learners. The book's educator/author has found that…

Beginning a new school year can be a daunting task for any teacher. This book, the work of an experienced teacher, advances the Overnight Book Program as the core of the literacy curriculum. According to the book, everything developing readers and writers need to understand literacy can be learned easily and joyfully by taking books home to share…

Suggests topics and assignments to elicit real, authentic, and expressive student writing. Such "real writing" tasks ask students to look inside themselves and to write genuine responses and about actual feelings and beliefs. (TM)

Examined process approaches to writing in fifth-grade classrooms led by teachers using procedural or workshop approaches. Found all teachers engaged students in the recursive steps of process writing, but there was significant variability in other aspects. Epistemological beliefs about teaching and learning were highly predictive of the type of…

This paper discusses parody as an effective pedagogical device and as a way of teaching recognition of, and appreciation for, form. If the subject parodied is in poetic form, then rhyme and rhythm become factors for the parodist to consider. If the subject parodied is in prose, then the parodist must address the techniques of narrative,…

Based on the idea that good writing is developed with instruction, critique, and practice, this book, intended for teachers of grades 2-6, offers a comprehensive outline for guiding students to writing competence. For each month of the school year, the book gives sample daily sentences for primary and upper elementary grades, journal writing…

This topical bibliography and commentary discusses several classroom techniques designed to encourage beginning writers to grow beyond uninspired composition. The strategies employed in the classroom are of equal value for both expository and creative writing. The various classroom techniques discussed share an emphasis on student-centered…

This paper discusses ideas which contribute to better understanding of the writing portions of Reading Recovery lessons, emphasizing the importance of helping the student monitor meaning during the composing and recoding process. Topics addressed in the paper are: (1) differences between composing and transcribing; (2) sources from which children…