This paper discusses ideas which contribute to better understanding of the writing portions of Reading Recovery lessons, emphasizing the importance of helping the student monitor meaning during the composing and recoding process. Topics addressed in the paper are: (1) differences between composing and transcribing; (2) sources from which children…

Reviews cognitive research on writing, focusing on differences between expert and novice writers. Discusses a study of verbal comments made during writing by four developmental and four college-level writers. Indicates that college-level writers expressed more context-based knowledge and more positive self-evaluations than developmental writers.…

Examines the composing process and writing strategies of three lower proficiency Japanese subjects in their first language (L1) and second language (L2). Found that while some L1 strategies may transfer to the L2 writing processes, lower proficiency writers struggle in utilizing all strategies that could help their writing process in the L2.…

Presents an approach that teachers can use to promote and investigate students' motivation to learn in the classroom. Notes that the strategies used are from Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking courses. Explains the following motivational devices: dual-entry diary; clusters; know/want to know/learned; think/pair/share; discussion web;…

Describes a sixth-grade language arts classroom's experience with the "Write for Your Life" project, which led to a partnership between University of Texas faculty and Austin classroom teachers. Students construct life narratives, generate questions from these narratives, and conduct investigations to learn about their experiences.…

A theoretically and empirically based intervention, Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD), for students who struggle with academic tasks is described. The instructional implications and evaluation of performance for one student with learning and behavioral difficulties highlights the usefulness of this instructional approach. Six individual…

Considers how ideology in its various manifestations intersects with collaborative composing both in the business writing class and in the corporation. Describes several classroom experiences which demonstrate how ideology influences students' collaborative dynamics. Considers from a more distant vantage how specific composing ideologies influence…

Examines the characteristics of prewriting activities of unsuccessful writers who took the Alberta Universities' Writing Competence Test. Finds that the students' limited and ineffective use of prewriting strategies interferes with their ability to generate and develop ideas in writing a timed essay. (KEH)

A San Diego English/journalism teacher is using technology to explore the writing process, increase student motivation, and present new material for classroom discussion. She spends more time as learning facilitator than all-knowing expert. With the help of hypermedia tools, her inner-city high school students are telling their own stories,…

Grade 6-7 learning-disabled students (n=21) and nonlearning-disabled students (n=13) completed the Test of Written Language story subtest, a book report assignment, and an interview concerning reported strategy use. Higher reported strategy use failed to correlate significantly with the quality of the final written products for either group.…

Offers guidelines on using student journals and microthemes in writing across the curriculum programs, drawing from the experiences of faculty at Queensborough Community College. Includes sample assignments. (DMM)

Presents four suggestions from teachers on classroom and teaching matters, including (1) using a journalism model for teaching essay writing; (2) a framework of teaching options for content area instruction; (3) what makes a good workplace literacy project; and (4) what helps students learn problem solving. (SR)

A survey of 101 social sciences graduate students investigated their writing habits, attitudes toward writing, and productivity. Three distinct groups were identified--planners, revisers, and mixed strategy writers--each with differing productivity and perceptions of writing difficulty. (Author/MSE)

Interviews Lisa Delpit from the Institute for Urban Research at Morgan State University. Argues that many nonmainstream children need explicit instruction in literacy conventions and strategies to gain access to the culture of power. (MG)

Reviews the potential of word processors for changing the ways in which students process written text and think about writing. Three levels of computer-aided writing are considered: simple word processors; computer-aided writing programs; and higher-level computer-aided processing; and improvements in writing quality. (41 references) (LRW)