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)

Reviews the evolution of foreign language teaching methods from the audiovisual methods of the 60s through the notional-functional and communicative approaches of the 70s and 80s. It is recommended that the role of oral language be reviewed and that the value of writing in second language learning be recognized. (JLR)

Argues that practice in writing resumes and business letters helps composition students gain self-confidence, build self-esteem, and improve writing skills. Examines ways to enhance the writing process, such as using a college career placement office to contextualize resume writing, peer criticism of student work, and brainstorming to develop…

Discusses two upper division writing-intensive courses, Sociological Theory and Sociology of Religion, offered at Millsaps College (Mississippi). Argues that greater emphasis on writing in the upper-division sociology courses allows students to become better learners and better sociologists. (DB)

Research evidence is reviewed to show that transcription and working memory processes constrain the development of composition skills in students with and without learning disabilities and that in turn other processes constrain the development of transcription and working memory skills. Interventions for transcription are discussed. (Author/CR)

This article discusses similarities and differences between learning to read and spell words. While the processes are closely related and correlations between reading and spelling are high, the amount of information to be drawn from memory is greater for spellers who must produce multiple letters correctly sequenced than for readers. (Contains…

Reports the findings of a classroom-based study into the effectiveness of various strategies designed to assist children at Key Stage 3 (11-14 years) to become better writers. Takes into account the attitudes of the pupils themselves and considers the role of the teacher in facilitating improvement in imaginative writing. (PA)

This article describes the Cognitive Strategy in Writing program (originally intended for elementary-age students), and adaptation and application of the social constructivist approach with seven junior high and high school students with learning disabilities. Pretest-posttest assessment indicated dramatic improvements in overall quality and…