Students who have trouble starting to write can create collage images from textured papers to inspire story ideas and written text. Some students may invent a plot first then illustrate it. Others may let textured paper influence their writing. The article describes the process and explains how to make textured paper. (SM)

Describes an exploratory study. Suggests that planning role play for specific purposes, introducing adults as equal players with strong modelling roles, and introducing an additional teaching intervention greatly enhances children's oral and written achievements. Finds this kind of role play can be seen as a legitimate way of implementing some…

This booklet presents tutoring strategies for use in the Read-Write-Now! Partners Tutoring Program, which assists school-age children, grades 1-6, in reading and writing. The booklet discusses general strategies, guidelines for effective tutoring, what to do during tutoring sessions, paired reading (including the basics and some "finer…

An 8-month practicum addressed the adverse feelings for writing (shown in responses to a writing survey) of 30 intermediate-level students. Ten students from each grade level (third, fourth, and fifth) with the lowest scores completed the practicum activities. Students viewed a film for the first strategy. The students' reactions to the film…

Quality children's literature can model a wide range of effective writing and illustrating techniques. When exposed to good models of writing, children can be encouraged to reflect on how authors and illustrators have shaped a story, and literary elements, story structure, and design can be identified. As children progress in their understanding…

Research is reviewed regarding the effectiveness of using revisions to help students improve their writing. The positive use of rewarding feedback which does not overemphasize neatness and unnecessary adherence to routine is emphasized. (CB)

Using this workbook, elementary students can learn to write sentences like their favorite authors. Using sentences from more than 100 popular stories and novels as models, the workbook offers extensive practice in four sentence-manipulating techniques: sentence unscrambling, sentence imitating, sentence combining, and sentence expanding. It shows…

Describes an adventure through writing and art. Discusses the many uses of the blank sketchbooks\journals that students make. Describes an integrated writing and art workshop in which sketchbook\journal items are developed into finished pieces. Describes the evolution of a focused classroom inquiry project (a lunar investigation). Includes…

Describes how the use of haiku in elementary level writing instruction can develop writing and cognitive skills. Focuses on both traditional haiku with syllable pattern limits and nontraditional adaptations keeping with the intent of haiku to evoke a mood. Highlights how improvements in students' haiku writing benefited other types of writing.…

Describes a program in which five children (ages 8-13), including two with profound deafness, were taught English using whole language strategies combined with mini lessons in grammatical structure. The lessons were reinforced with assigned written language practice for classwork and homework, which was incorporated into the students' journals.…

Focuses on ways in which students' writing is enhanced when literature becomes an integral part of the elementary classroom. (SR)

This study evaluated the use of guided imagery practice to enhance creative writing with 43 academically gifted students (stratified as either high or low creativity) in grades 3 and 4. Groups receiving the guided imagery practice (regardless of original creativity level) generated more original writing, which contained more sensory descriptions…

A cooperative project in which deaf elementary school students practiced writing with undergraduate deaf education majors through the use of dialogue journals and "scaffolding" (active interaction between skilled and unskilled learners) found the techniques effective in improving the students' content, form, and use of written language. (CB)

Offers a procedure to help students develop effective strategies for using labeled diagrams in their research projects. (MG)

Discusses the use of portable keyboards that can download their information into a computer and describes how they can be used effectively in elementary school classrooms. Highlights include uses in various subject areas, including writing improvement; student motivation; taking keyboards home; and uses outside the classroom, including field…