Reports on research that investigated students' perceptions of the purpose of certain whole-language strategy lessons. Concludes that, even in whole-language lessons, authenticity may be missing. Helps educators think more deeply about what literacy lessons should be like for students and how instruction can help develop students' strategies while…

Studies revising strategies by examining the correction-sequencing procedures implemented by 48 elementary children and 48 adults. Finds three distinct groups of subjects: those who improved the text by using one of the model strategies, those who improved the text without using a model strategy, and those who failed to improve the text. (MG)

Offers an annotated bibliography of 142 dissertations, journal articles, and documents published in 1990 and 1991. Contains material on writing, language, literature, and teacher education. (PRA)

Presents a rationale for writing in social studies and sample writing activities. Suggests that writing actively involves students in learning, providing another mode for encoding information, and improving writing skills. Includes strategies for writing in social studies. Argues that social studies is an especially rich content area for…

Contrasts the presentational mode of industrial writing--its strategies and techniques--with the reflective mode of traditional academic essay writing. Details industrial writing techniques and the organizational reasons for such techniques. (SR)

Discusses a course on shared-document writing in which students indicate that they value the time allowed to coordinate groups and to understand and complete assignments. Asserts that structuring the course necessitates assigning work relating to a single topic and providing choices, including a voice in group formation and evaluation. (PRA)

Describes a writing strategy that reflects the importance of writing for authentic purposes for real audiences. Discusses how cross-grade-level exchanges can support this approach. (MG)

Claims writing teachers need to understand the relationship between personality type and the range of successful writing strategies. Discusses a method for identifying students' psychological (personality) type and examines how these characteristics affect preference for types of writing, group learning, experiential learning, and tutorial…

This special section includes papers from the 1997 Library Administration and Management Association (LAMA) Systems and Services Section (SASS) preconference, "Write On!" which introduced participants to the tenets of effective writing. Four topics of interest to librarians include: writing a research paper, transforming an oral presentation into…

Presents three activities to help primary students come up with writing ideas. The first helps students share ideas and see patterns in topics. The second has students discuss topics in groups to determine a variety of potential writing topics. The third has students review their topics and compare them with their classmates' topics. (SM)

Discusses several approaches to creating an effective text, envisioning a specific audience and determining how much detail is appropriate. Provides examples from seventh-grade English classes and a literacy methods course for middle-grade teachers. Considers some broader implications of the framework that educators are beginning to consider as…

Argues that too many teachers are looking for quick fixes for students' writing problems. Shows how formulaic writing of the kind J. Schaffer advocates forces premature closure on complicated interpretive issues and stifles ongoing exploration. Argues that writing teachers must help students develop a repertoire of strategies for identifying and…

A pen pal project between second graders and teacher-education students fostered a love of writing in the younger students and increased their self-esteem and writing skills. The university students gained valuable knowledge about the development of language arts in young students--knowledge they would find helpful when they started teaching. (TD)

Middle school teacher describes a framework that gives inexperienced, anxious writers the confidence to write. The process, called doing prompts, stems from analyzing prompts or writing assignments that outline the topic for a piece of writing. The process involves analyzing the prompt being called for, completing a graphic organizer, composing…

This article describes how computer center sign-up sheets encouraged preschool children with a variety of disabilities to make visible advances in their emergent writing skills over the years. The children progressed from making scribbles to making recognizable letter-symbols on the sign-up sheets. Tips for creating sign-up sheets are provided.…