A study examined differences in writing self-efficacy beliefs among high- and low-apprehensive writers. The Daly-Miller (1975a) Writing Apprehension Test was administered to 43 developmental writers in 3 freshman composition classes. Students scoring plus or minus one standard deviation from the mean for that population were selected for further…

Using reflective writing throughout the composition course yields better reflective writing for composition portfolios. As writing courses make increasing use of portfolios for individual and program assessment, reflective writing will become more and more important. Brief reflective statements of as little as one paragraph, even when done as a…

A practicum was developed to address deficiencies in students' writing skills. The program goals were to assess the students' abilities to use prewriting strategies, to use supportive elements in writing, and to evaluate students' progress using pre- and post-attitude surveys and writing samples. The target group was 20 eighth-grade journalism…

A plan for increasing effective student writing skills was developed and implemented. Subjects were students in a regular first-grade class, a fifth-sixth grade behavior disorder (BD) class, and a seventh-eighth grade self-contained educable mentally handicapped (EMH) class, all of whom exhibited inadequate writing skills. Evidence for the…

A discussion of survey methodology for investigating second language programs and instruction examines two methods: oral interviews and written questionnaires. Each method is defined, and variations are explored. For interviews, this includes individual, group, and telephone interviews. For questionnaires, this includes self-administered and…

This book is designed for both adults with dyslexia and for professionals concerned with helping them, such as psychologists, tutors, therapists, researchers, disability advisors, and welfare officers. It also offers advice to employers on how to help staff with dyslexia. The text covers the nature of dyslexic difficulties and their effects, both…

This action research study examined what writing strategy, process writing approach, free, or informal writing, was the most effective with students with learning disabilities. Five students (ages 13-15) in a self-contained eighth grade language arts class were observed while they learned the three different writing strategies. The process writing…

People write because they have something to say, when they have a rich experience to share, or when they have ideas to clarify and record. Effective writers learn how to communicate. This applies to adults as well as children. Teaching writing is about building on the language skills that children bring with them to school. Pupils need a rich…

A case study examined the effect that cognitive rescaling of digital text had on the research and writing processes of a student with a learning disability and emotional disturbance in a self-contained alternative school environment. Results indicate the cognitive rescaling of digital text had a positive effect on the student. (Contains…

Discusses writing techniques and assessment methods used in an interdisciplinary writing course. Recommends freewriting, small-group writing assignments, and peer tutoring. Supports assessment by more than one faculty evaluator, peer feedback, and optional versus mandatory rewriting. (CFR)

Investigates the ability of third-grade students to generate essays either by hand or with a word processing program. Indicates that the length and quality of the handwritten essays were superior to the computer-generated ones, suggesting that third-grade students were not as efficient in using a word processing program to generate essays as they…

Fourth and fifth grade learning-disabled and non-learning-disabled students, who participated in a socially mediated writing intervention emphasizing the process of writing, writing strategies, and the role of teacher-student and student-student dialogue, were compared to a similar group of students who had not participated in the intervention.…

Experiments with active and cooperative learning techniques designed to develop critical thinking and writing skills in large introductory level sociology courses. Finds debate and essay writing effectively modify students' opinions on social issues and help students develop these skills. Notes ethical issues involved in teaching critical…

Describes a cooperative writing project involving a college-level psychology class and a ninth-grade English class. Discusses different concepts of psychology held by the two student groups. Concludes with suggestions for improving writing skills and helping students become more authoritative writers. (CFR)

What roles can colleges and universities play in serving the many young adults whom our public school systems fail? This article sheds light on how one university was able to make a literacy connection with students attending an Alternative High School (AHS). This connection enabled AHS students and teacher candidates to effectively carry out a…