Good writers don't wing it--they have a plethora of skills. They list, picture, circle, strategize and revise to make language come alive. They know what to use and when. Like ace athletes, they are highly trained, well-versed in the techniques found in this lively book. "Writing Workouts" provides a method for instruction that gives…

Analyzes score differences for the papers of 50 students who wrote on four different writing topics, two that were on transactional and two that were on expressive topics. Results suggested that differences between scores might be very important for individuals, so to insure fairness, teachers should use additional forms of writing assessment. (DF)

A representative group of 4,000 California high school seniors was randomly assigned one of five essay topics. Each essay was given two independent ratings based on criteria specified for each topic by an advisory group of English teachers. On the basis of the scores, a representative subset of 750 essays was randomly selected from the top…

Explores writing research on the composing process regarding the relationship of the topic selected to the score obtained, the relationship of the score to the use of both an outline and a rough draft, and the relationship of the amount of revision to the quality of essays obtained. (EL)

For those students who qualify, the Advance Program offers an opportunity to follow a stimulating curriculum designed for the academically talented. The purposes of the course outlined in this guide for twelfth grade English are to bring the previous three years' studies in Advance Program English to a meaningful culmination; to provide a…

This study investigated (1) whether teaching applied linguistics can help high school students learn to write more effectively, and (2) which approach, linguistic or traditional, is more effective in teaching composition. Twelfth grade male students (188) in a private metropolitan high school were randomly assigned to six sample groups, fairly…

The major objective of this study was to determine the effect on academic performance of the 12th year English background of students in college freshman composition. Student survey forms were given to 415 students enrolled in their first college English course in order to assess their past writing experiences, and questionnaires were sent to…

A study of Southeast Asian-American immigrants showed that English writing skills for mainstreamed students were the same at the eighth-, tenth-, and twelfth-grade levels and were the same as nonnative university students. Results suggest that age on arrival was a more important factor than number of years in United States and grade at entry. (21…

A study was conducted to (1) examine the relation of syntactic complexity to mode of discourse in the writing of eighth and twelfth grade students; (2) determine to what extent variations observed were related to grade level, socioeconomic status, and race; and (3) determine to what extent the syntactic complexity achieved on a rewriting task…

This booklet answers parents' questions about the following: Kentucky's Writing Portfolio program, the process which leads to effective writing, and the parent's role in the development of children's writing skills. The first section discusses the stages of the writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) and how…

Describes a twelfth grade oral-history teaching project with multi-ethnic U.S. history senior students. Stresses that the project helps students think about and understand today's world by developing historical understanding. Activities include designing questionnaires, conducting interviews, writing biographical sketches, and producing a…

Presents a model for working with students at risk, helping them develop critical thinking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Includes cooperation of the local community relations officer for the police department. (RAE)

The purposes of this unit are to help the 12th-grade student understand that language can be used to evoke an experience, to enrich his perception of the evocative language of literature, and to demonstrate that evocation is not limited to either language or literature. The unit begins with a study of the evocative language in a radio announcer's…

Designed to complete a cycle begun in 1946, the 1950 Service-Wide Testing Program examined: the progress and achievement made by American Indian students in various educational situations, and the factors thought to affect their educational development. Tests were administered to all students in grades 8 and 12 enrolled in day, mission, public,…