The purpose of this guide is to improve high school writing and writing instruction. Teachers are encouraged to make transparencies and handouts of the information in this guide in order to make the information accessible to students. Using the scoring rubrics and model papers, students can be taught to recognize both strong and weak areas in…

Creative writing is not a magical art from magic wands, but an everyday practice in the hands of steady writers. Creative writing calls, above all, for self-discipline. Along with intellectual and emotional stamina, a poetic writer needs sensory awareness. The writer also forms a mysterious sixth sense--intuition. In search of the good words, the…

Two studies of intermediate grade students with and without learning and writing disabilities evaluated the Self-Regulated Strategy Development model in teaching students how to plan persuasive essays before and during composing. Instructional effects were investigated using different research designs, in different settings, and with different…

This article describes an intervention study designed to enhance the skills needed in the planning and writing of stories by an adolescent with autism who was using augmentative and alternative communication and working with a typical peer. Overall, the student's postintervention story was dramatically improved over his preintervention story.…

Understanding the interrelationships that exist between a writer or speaker, audience, and subject is essential to growth in discourse and writing. Because students in K-12 classrooms respond primarily to teacher questions, they get little practice in assessing audience. Computers and particularly "cybercafe" e-mail can facilitate…

This study reports results of student graphing of writing after brief free writing periods in the 4th grade. An examination of writing samples over time from students with the highest and lowest writing rates showed improved writing quality in terms of more concrete details and more sophisticated organization. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Investigates the impact of task definition on students' revising strategies. Finds that texts written by students who receive instruction on global revision are judged both to be of significantly better quality and include significantly more global revisions than students who were simply asked to make the text better. (MG)

A study explored whether a writing-assessment rubric could be used as an effective teaching strategy with 10 deaf children (grades 5 through 7). From fall to spring, students showed significant improvement in four writing qualities and no significant improvement in five qualities. The ability to individualize rubrics is discussed. (Author/CR)

This article discusses the development of the story form, examines the written narrative patterns of students with learning disabilities, and discusses the reasons for their difficulties with this genre of writing. Instructional approaches are presented that have been effective in improving written narrative skills of these students. (Contains…

Designed to address writing problems experienced by researchers and managers, this book suggests practical steps researchers can take and effective actions managers can implements to cut costs, improve document usefulness, and upgrade writing skills. The book explains how to: (1) organize a technical/business document; (2) select information…

Students may forget that writing involves a relationship between writer and audience--a relationship foregrounded by speech-act theory. The writer should focus on what the audience is to be led to see about the subject. To be distinguished are "locution" (saying something), "illocution" (performance of an act in saying…

Designed as a practical reference book that can be useful to readers in any writing situation, this handbook offers guidance for writing assignments across the curriculum as well as help in writing resumes, letters, and scholarship, college, and job applications. The handbook describes the 10 common methods for developing any kind of writing and…

The development of narrative competence is an important part of the English curriculum in the early secondary school years. A study examined how four seventh-grade girls (two novice and two expert writers) responded to computer-based metacognitive guidance in the form of procedural facilitations. The facilitations were designed to assist the…

Arguing that parents can make a big difference, this six-panel leaflet presents simple and fun strategies parents can use to help their children learn to write well. The leaflet points out that children should have a good place to write, the proper materials, sufficient time, and response and praise from their parents. Strategies discussed in the…

This action research is designed to help students improve their writing skills and their confidence in themselves as writers. The targeted population is third graders in a suburban Chicago, Illinois elementary school. Evidence of the need to improve writing skills exists through teacher observation and evaluation of student writing, and scores on…