This report examines the importance and efficacy of oral language, literacy, mathematics, and science preschool curricula and how these curricula can be improved through alignment with research on early childhood development and learning. Detailed, research-driven recommendations are presented for what preschool-aged children should be learning in…

Examines the composing processes of basic writers, examining their tendencies toward writer's block, low-level goals, and writer-based prose. Suggests that basic writers be taught that the purpose of writing is to communicate with other people and that errors, revisions, and general messiness are part of the complicated process. (PAA)

This book briefs teachers on how to analyze individual students' spelling errors and coach them on strategies to overcome them. Although the book deals with spelling weaknesses of both learning disabled and basic writers, its message to practitioners can also provide help for any student who has spelling weaknesses. The book is organized in two…

Examines the work of representative scholars in the field of basic writing in terms of their pedagogical and theoretical assumptions about teaching academic discourse. Categorizes the scholarship into two theoretical schools of thought (i.e., inner-directed and outer-directed) and two pedagogical camps (i.e., freedom-directed and…

Intended for teachers of basic writing, this book contains a collection of new and updated essays addressing issues surrounding underprepared writers. It maps errors and expectations for basic writing and develops teaching approaches that will be effective in a social and political world. The book considers concepts such as the possibility of…

Argues for teaching students to write leads that stress unusual story features and can be used as a peg to hang the rest of the story on. Recommends the use of student writing models, accounts by professional writers about lead writing, and instruction in the rhetorical strategy of contrast/dissonance. (PAA)

Describes various types of writing across the curriculum (WAC) programs and issues in program implementation, examines the implications of WAC programs for teaching basic writers, and outlines some instructional strategies that can be used by teachers to prepare basic writing students for participation in WAC programs. (PAA)

Describes a student-centered software package designed at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin to support student writing by helping students generate ideas, improve organization and development, and improve editing capabilities. Describes UT's basic writers and presents findings from the classroom research-based program evaluation. (DMM)

Details strategies for applying writing research and theories to the college basic writing classroom. Encourages instruction focusing on the complete writing process and on meaning rather than linguistic structure. Offers guidelines for creating a process-centered classroom and holding effective writing conferences with students. (PAA)

Examines research on the causes of writing apprehension. Profiles high-apprehensive writers, characterizes their written products, and describes their writing processes. Suggests four procedures for dealing with writing apprehension: peer group workshops; positive reinforcement; teaching about writing process, and gradually increasing students'…

Drawing from a review of the literature on feedback in two fields, English education and social psychology, this paper sets forth a set of theoretical conclusions and practical suggestions for developmental English instructors and others to use in providing feedback to composition students. First, the research on written feedback in English…

Discusses a study of the effects of first year composition students' use of a microcomputer as a word processor on the quality of their writing. Compares students who used the word processor with those who hand wrote their compositions, revealing greater improvement among the word processing group, regardless of initial skill levels. (PAA)

Presents preliminary results from a continuing study of academic locus of control (ALOC). Describes ALOC differences between development/nondevelopmental students, males/females, and based on class status and number of developmental courses taken. Reveals a more highly developed sense of internal control among nondevelopmental students. Includes…

Describes a study conducted to determine whether the relationships between reading and writing can serve as the basis of a functional pedagogy to improve the reading comprehension of academically underprepared college students. The study also examined the effects of integrated reading and writing instruction on students' skills and attitudes. (PAA)

Four areas of consideration are crucial to the development of an effective English-as-a-Second-Language writing program: the nature of basic writers; acquisition of written language; approaches to teaching basic writing; and classroom strategies. Basic writers are students who have studied writing for years but are still unable to produce…