Describes a combined process writing approach and extended conference method of writing instruction applied to eighth grade students. Presents the experiences of several students who refused to write at first but soon became proud of their writing after several extended conferences. (RS)

Identifies three basic types of students of technical writing who fear writing with a computer. Offers suggestions to encourage them (and all technical writing students) to at least become more comfortable and current with writing technology. (SR)

Discusses five things which help the author (herself a reluctant writer) to push past her own doubts, and notes how they are helpful in working with students who are reluctant to write. (SR)

Examines the impact on a deaf student (who was "intensely anxious" about writing) of five two-hour tutoring sessions conducted exclusively in English, in writing, and on a computer. Finds that his fluency expanded significantly, as did his conversation about writing. Notes that he became more deeply involved in critical awareness of text,…

Argues that nontraditional students need special assistance in coming to believe that they have something valuable to say and in learning to express it with authority. Discusses the complicated nature and causes of the silences of nontraditional students, and describes numerous things that can be done to lessen fear and resistance in the writing…

Describes implementation of a writing process and feedback (WPF) model, which presented getting published as an appropriate expectation of all graduate students. The model included structured sequential classroom assignments, student editorial review boards, guest classroom appearances by published writers, and extensive feedback from faculty and…

A study investigated students' attitudes about writing, in order to gain new insights into writing apprehension. The Daly-Miller Writing Apprehension Test and 2 open-ended questions were administered to 202 students from public and private colleges and universities in California. Results indicated that highly apprehensive students generally want…

To provide a broad view of writer's block and the composing process, this annotated bibliography includes 100 sources that discuss (1) early views of blocking, e.g., Freud's warning about internal critics; (2) contemporary curatives, e.g., cognitive therapies that purport to change a writer's inhibitory self-talk; (3) successful writers' accounts…

Research into writing anxiety is an off-shoot of research into oral communication anxiety. At first, researchers thought that people with high oral communication anxiety tended to compensate by writing. However, when the Daly-Miller Writing Apprehension Test was used, it was found that the link between oral and written anxiety did not exist. The…

Presents step-by-step instructions to help developmental writing students write a cohesive essay by combining individually written paragraphs. (HTH)

Reports on a study of writing apprehension in writing center tutors, results of which indicated a strong correspondence between various dimensions of writing apprehension and specific teaching behaviors that do not aid the student in problem detection or writing improvement. (HTH)

Describes the methodology and results of a study to determine whether writing instruction caused anxiety. The results indicated that teaching technical writing in freshman composition was more effective in lowering student writing anxiety than were literary-essay or rhetorical teaching approaches. (HTH)

Describes a study of students' anxiety levels in the writing classroom. Results indicated a significant rise in anxiety level for "writing papers for grades," and a marked fear of failing a test. (HTH)

Discusses ways to bolster first-year student writers' confidence in themselves. Provides a needs-assessment tool for high school and college instructors. (RS)

A recent trend in composition studies has been a call for the "feminization" of composition pedagogy. Collaborative learning pedagogues have sought to reconstruct the classroom as a site of social cooperation, connectedness, and nurturance and have re-envisioned composition as an act of understanding rather than of agonistics.…