A study examined the influence of coauthoring on the writing process in the classroom. Subjects were 24 students in a ninth-grade English class at a racially and socioeconomically diverse high school located in a medium-sized Midwestern city. Data was collected over the first 9-week quarter of the year. Eight collaborative writing triads,…

An instructional study examined whether teaching strategies related to planning and reviewing behaviors would affect planning, reviewing, revising, and producing texts. Training texts were examined using a multiple baseline across participants design with multiple probes in baseline. During baseline and in intervention phases, two highly capable…

This book provides a theoretical underpinning for the strategy of freewriting through a collection of 16 essays that are very diverse in focus, methodology, and point of view. The essays are as follows: "Recording and Transforming: The Mystery of the Ten-Minute Freewrite" (Sheryl I. Fontaine); "Freewriting: An Aid to Rereading…

This study examined the effect of news writing instruction in freshman composition to determine whether the diversity of instruction would result in improved writing performance and attitudes of students. Data were gathered from 71 students at a private Oklahoma college randomly assigned to three control groups (taught by a traditional approach)…

This report describes a program for improving writing in the primary grades through the use of guided mini-lessons, conferencing, and portfolios. The target population consists of first and second grade students in a growing, low to middle class community. The problems of poor writing skills were documented through teacher observations and student…

Conducted in a kindergarten and first-grade combination classroom, a study examined two differing introductions to proposed journal entries, written after students listened to two stories of narrative fiction. Both stories were written by Margaret and H.A. Rey and focus upon Curious George as the main character. During the first phase of the data…

Researching what gains are made in independent writing as a result of interactive writing, a study examined the relationship of interactive writing to independent writing in kindergarten and first grade. Researchers collected samples of children's independent writing, interactive writing, student reflection sheets, individual conferencing, and…

Traces the revision of narrative and expository text made by sixth grade students during a school year in which the focus was on improving reading comprehension and writing through instruction in text structure. Finds that only expository texts were judged to improve in writing quality by year end. (MG)

Examines first graders' tacit shared understandings about composing as related to expectations about the processes and meaning of writing. Finds evidence of three cultural themes: (1) the processes of creating and sharing text-mediated relationships with others; (2) writing was used to explore "self" and the world; and (3) collaborative composing…

Reviews 32 studies regarding writing in a foreign language in the United States. Focuses on research that investigates relationships between various pedagogical practices or task types assigned and the texts produced by foreign language writers. Topics addressed include exploiting grammar instruction, computer use, task type, strategy training,…

In preparing students for their future discourse communities, the EAP/ESP literature has shown interest in the role of hedges in scientific literature. This interest has resulted in several studies that define and classify hedges, and hypothesize about their purpose. With these as our theoretical basis, we are led to ask "What is the relation to…

Analyzes the proposal-writing environment, the characteristics of proposals, and the practices of seven engineers at a Silicon Valley engineering firm that does government defense work. Finds that engineers write proposals collaboratively and have a highly structured composing process. Describes how the firm's Proposal Writing Center dramatically…

Describes a project in which a college composition instructor and five students studied the relationship between general academic literacy and the content of freshman composition instruction. Concludes that the "discourse community" of the writing class differs greatly from the divergent roles of teacher and student in other…

Presents a study in which children considered alternative continuations of a text through a computer program. Reports that subjects were to monitor text production and correct coherence problems. Discusses reason levels: (1) implicit, local reasoning; (2) attention to global text characteristics; and (3) considerations on the function of…

A biographical sketch of award-winning brothers Christopher and James Lincoln Collier discusses their early writing influences and research pursuits. In 1974 they began coauthoring novels of historical fiction for middle school readers. The profile describes their collaborating technique and their plots, which incorporate history of the American…