Traditionally, teachers of writing have considered it their challenge to prepare students for the workplace. But in growing numbers, students are entering classrooms from the workplace. New trends in the way Americans define themselves as workers and life-long learners call for a redefinition of the role of writing in the academic world. Some…

Suggesting that portfolios can be used much more effectively if teachers have firsthand experience documenting themselves as readers and writers, this book describes the process of keeping a portfolio, discusses how to get started and what artifacts to include, and offers examples as departure points for teachers to begin making sense of their own…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of increased phonemic awareness instruction on the writing ability of At Risk first graders. Twenty-three students from a suburban first grade classroom in Central New Jersey were involved in the study. Twelve at risk students were divided into two groups, each of which received one half hour of…

A practicum was designed to improve and expand the writing skills of 13 fifth-grade students placed in an upper elementary school Alternative Education program. The major goal was to provide the students with the means to improve their written output and grammar. Secondary goals were to help the children to think logically about the writing tasks…

This clear, reader-friendly book is carefully designed to help readers gain confidence and acquire competence in their academic writing abilities. It focuses on real people as they write and actively involves readers in the writing process. The authors' innovative approach encourages reflection on how professional writing initiatives connect to…

A study examined the effects of race, class, and gender on writing. Data from the 6-year longitudinal study was carried out from 1989 to 1995 at City College of City University of New York. Subjects were African-American, Latino, Asian, and White students enrolled in three composition classes, one at each of the two levels of basic writing and one…

This report describes a program for increasing motivation in writing that will enhance students' skills at a variety of grade levels. The targeted population consisted of first, second, and third grade classes as well as ninth through twelfth grade Learning Disabled students in a Midwestern state. The evidence of lack of motivation was documented…

Recounts the author's experiences teaching writing for several years in the New York city public schools. Relates his changing thoughts, feelings and assumptions about why creative writing matters (or does not matter) to these students. Concludes that writing can help people struggle against suffering and injustice, and it can also give the…

Offers an interview with Robert Wylie, a distinguished two-year college English teacher for almost 50 years. Discusses how important it is for an English teacher to write, important issues in the profession, his views on the best ways to help students improve as writers, his observations about writing assignments, liking students, teaching…

Explores the implicit boundaries on topic choice established by early proponents of writing process pedagogy and traces these boundaries to a widespread cultural concern about the disappearance of a pretechnological form of childhood. Urges a dialogic view of writing that acknowledges the positive contribution children's media affiliations can…

A study was undertaken at Central Arizona College to determine the effect of writing activities on student performance in College Algebra. An experimental group of eight students was established and given lists of math-related vocabulary words and problems which required written explanations. Quizzes were constructed requiring the group to respond…

This book offers "teacher-friendly" lessons to plan flexible, interesting writer's workshop programs for students. The book gives short, self-contained lessons to boost writing skills and raise interest levels, whether they are used as a regular part of curriculum or plugged in as time allows. The book's 73 mini-lessons give the help…

A recent change in classroom (K-12) instruction is the rediscovery of writing's relationship to thinking. Teachers' attitudes about writing can affect their students' attitudes. Positive attitudes have a positive influence; however, many teacher education students and inservice teachers have negative attitudes toward writing. Since improved…

This paper describes the process of structuring a Writing across the Curriculum Workshop for college faculty and reflects on some of the workshop's problems and highlights. Workshop participant selection was based on previous expressions of interest from faculty or from recommendations of department chairs. The workshop itself consisted of six…

A study examined the role of audience in preservice mathematics education students' writing experiences. Subjects, students in two mathematics education classes taught by the same teacher, completed writing assignments explaining the principles of mathematics to elementary school pupils. Students in one class wrote to actual students, serving as…