A study determined whether participation in a project using personal computers in the classroom to teach the writing process enabled students to improve their writing performance. One middle school from each of Delaware's 16 districts participated in the program. The project goals were incorporated into a set of four process and three outcome…

A practicum was developed to address deficiencies in students' writing skills. The program goals were to assess the students' abilities to use prewriting strategies, to use supportive elements in writing, and to evaluate students' progress using pre- and post-attitude surveys and writing samples. The target group was 20 eighth-grade journalism…

The problems and accomplishments of a program to evaluate the Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program at Walsh College in Canton (Ohio) are described. The college-wide writing program began in 1987 with training workshops for faculty. Stage 1 of the program ended in 1988 with a summative evaluation and the development of a handbook to be used…

Discusses outcomes of a study that suggest ESL instructors focus on grammar and syntax in student writing, whereas English faculty members focus more on content and style. Because they are less familiar with different rhetorical styles, English faculty evaluate ESL compositions lower when they do not correspond to a more western form. (29…

Described a program to infuse art into a writer's workshop in an effort to improve writing and self expression across grade levels. Notes how the students' artwork elicited more descriptive writing, improved students' observation skills, provided a necessary image for writers to write with clarity and purpose, and improved learning. (SD)

Exploring what happened in the classroom as a teacher used a whole language approach with her culturally varied, urban fourth-grade students, this report tells the story of a unit on personal, narrative writing which occurred from April to June. The report describes how the teacher established routines to make the unit work, and how the teacher…

A 1-year investigation of writing took place in an urban second grade and focused on three low-income African American children with different reading abilities in their third year of whole language instruction. Data collection included written artifacts, structured interviews at the beginning and end of the school year, and field notes. Artifacts…

This study describes a program designed to increase academic achievement in reading and writing among first and second grade students in a rural, middle-income area. Evidence for the existence of the problem includes reading comprehension tests, observation checklists for reading skills and reading behaviors, and writing samples. Analysis of…

Two groups of freshman students participated in the experiment. They were enrolled in their first ESL writing course. Before instruction, both groups were pre-tested. They wrote an essay. T-test results showed significant differences between both groups in writing ability. The experimental group made too many errors and had many writing problems.…

Explored relationships between middle school students' writing processes and their written products. Results suggest that students need to engage in a variety of writing tasks; teachers must be aware of the complexity involved in composing to assess progress; editing must be kept in its proper perspective; and teachers should recognize that…

Monroe County Community College (MCCC), in Monroe, Michigan, developed a "Writing Across the Curriculum" program in response to perceived deficiencies in the writing and critical thinking skills of its students. Major features of the program include a Writing Center located in the Learning Assistance Laboratory and Writing Fellows…

A study investigated the writing of incipient bilinguals (students who were in the initial process of acquiring a second language). A total of four Chinese-speaking children were chosen for final, in-depth study over a 2-year period at a middle school in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. Data included initial interviews and observations,…

This paper reviews the research on use of collaborative writing teaching methods at the postsecondary level. Following a brief summary of the theoretical framework of collaborative writing, the paper examines the research on the six features of collaborative writing most used in classrooms: disclosure, which encourages students to engage in deep…

English-as-a-Second-Language university students in a multiple-draft composition setting were found to pay more attention to teachers' comments on preliminary drafts than on final drafts; pay most attention to comments on grammar; and consider teachers' comments helpful overall. Problems with teacher comments and implications of the study are…

A study investigated the writing of incipient bilinguals (students who were in the initial process of acquiring a second language). A total of four Latino children were chosen for final, in-depth study over a 2 year-period at three middle schools in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. Data included initial interviews and observations,…