A study investigated the effectiveness of a program to improve writing performance across the curriculum. The targeted population consisted of students (n=73) from the elementary sector of a middle-class community in a south suburb of Chicago, Illinois. The problem of deficiencies in student writing throughout content areas was documented through…

A study examined and described a program to improve writing skills and related attitudes of elementary school students. Targeted population consisted of second- and fifth-grade students in a stable, middle class suburban community, located 20 miles southwest of Chicago, Illinois. The problems of underdeveloped writing skills and lack of student…

This book takes the elementary school teacher through all the paces needed to conduct a 2-day writing marathon in the classroom. According to the book, working as a team and having the opportunity to write without interruption are the main goals of a "write-a-thon," but play is a key element to its success. The book explains step-by-step…

This guide for teachers of grades 3 through 8 provides a collection of self-directed projects for either individuals or small groups. Suitable for use in classroom learning centers, the guide is divided into 7 sections. Section 1, Working with Literature, offers activities for teaching reading using novels, student-made novel packets, fiction…

A study was based on a perceived need for creative writing improvement. A creative writing program was administered to three separate schools in two districts over an eight-week time period. The first district was in a middle class community with primarily White students. The other district was in a lower middle class community with primarily…

A study investigated the effects of teacher probes, a type of questioning, on children's written revisions. Subjects, 260 children from grades two through six in a midwestern school district of moderate size, were randomly assigned to one of two conditions (probe or comment). Subjects in both conditions were presented with a story starter that…

Drawn from a larger study involving 16 children and 7 classrooms at a New Hampshire elementary school, this book presents a case study of one child's growth in writing during third and fourth grade. The first section of the book describes the inception of the writing workshop in one classroom, including the partnership between the researcher…

Describes how a teacher paired a low-ability, difficult migrant child with a high-ability child for classroom writing activities and how the low-ability child's writing improved measurably as a result. (SRT)

Reports on a study which viewed writing instruction as an interactive social process between the teacher and students. Written responses to student writing assignments assessed content rather than accuracy of spelling or grammar. States that written feedback encouraged greater quantity and quality of writing with spelling accuracy being maintained…

The Language Experience Approach (LEA) creates reading materials and writing opportunities through integrated use of the learner's language and experience. Individualized LEA involving a "dictation" approach (child dictates experience; teacher records and reads back experience) is beneficial for hearing-impaired students in terms of increased…

Describes the efforts of the Crediton Project, an ongoing research project in Devon, England, to develop an assessment scheme that accounts for cognitive, affective, moral, and stylistic development in children's writing. (DF)

Presents abstracts of two award winning studies, one dealing with spelling in the context of writing for a purpose, the other with student-teacher interaction during reading. (FL)

Developed by national reading experts for the "America Reads Challenge: Read*Write*Now!" initiative, this booklet provides 45 ideas for families, teachers, librarians, and other learning partners to use with all children--including those with disabilities--to help them read well and independently by the end of third grade. The booklet…

Developed by national reading experts for the "America Reads Challenge: Read*Write*Now!" initiative and translated into Spanish, this booklet provides 45 ideas for families, teachers, librarians, and other learning partners to use with all children--including those with disabilities--to help them read well and independently by the end of…

This study describes strategies used to increase student confidence in their overall writing achievement. The targeted population consists of third and fifth grade students from the same district located in a northwest suburban area. This community is located near a large metropolitan city in a midwestern state. Lack of confidence in student…