This article provides college teachers with specific suggestions for improving students' writing styles and techniques. Elements of readability, sentence structure and combination, and overall construction are outlined and stylistic strategies are explained with numerous examples. (MSE)

A text production model is considered as an instrument for researching the writing strategies of abstractors. Within this framework, abstracting is a subtype of the writer's activities, which are described in terms of text actions. A computer system can be constructed that evaluates and/or supports human text production. (Author/AEF)

The conclusion drawn from this study is that whether an English-as-a-Second-Language student writes compositions directly in English or translates from the first language into English makes no substantial qualitative or quantitative difference in the written products. (14 references) (KM)

Gives seven responses from practicing English teachers concerning ways that they have implemented the writing of various kinds of letters by students into the English curriculum. Demonstrates the efficacy and success of such methods. (HB)

Examines how various reading and writing activities interacted over time as college students composed from multiple sources. Discusses the linear and nonlinear nature of the restructuring and composing process. Finds that individual reading and writing activities served unique yet partially overlapping functions over the course of the task.…

Explores ways in which first-language literacy learning strategies can be understood as either enhancing or complicating acquisition of second-language literacy skills, focusing on the social context of schooling, cognitive considerations of the written code, and pedagogical practices most often used in reading and writing. (41 references)…

Responds to Thomas Devine's indictment of the process approach to writing instruction, arguing that teaching practices reflecting misapplication of research are often wrongly labeled the process approach and a more precise definition of the process approach should inform debates over its value. Questions Devine's conclusions. (DMM)

Analyzed the verbal interactions during and the narratives produced from third and fourth graders' collaborative writing projects with a teacher or peer. Found that, although the teacher focused instruction on the structural features of the narratives, the students tended to use the narratives to interpret the task and experiment with new academic…

A study explored whether a writing-assessment rubric could be used as an effective teaching strategy with 10 deaf children (grades 5 through 7). From fall to spring, students showed significant improvement in four writing qualities and no significant improvement in five qualities. The ability to individualize rubrics is discussed. (Author/CR)

Analysis of questionnaires completed by 715 undergraduate psychology students identified four patterns associated with writing term papers: (1) a minimal-drafting strategy; (2) an outline-and-develop strategy; (3) a detailed-planning strategy; and (4) a "think-then-do" strategy. Detailed-planning and think-then-do strategies appeared to result in…

This article discusses the development of the story form, examines the written narrative patterns of students with learning disabilities, and discusses the reasons for their difficulties with this genre of writing. Instructional approaches are presented that have been effective in improving written narrative skills of these students. (Contains…

Compares two landmark papers in biology to show how different rhetorical choices can influence the impact of a scientific paper. Argues that papers by Watson and Crick, and Avery, MacLeod and McCarty that present revolutionary biological findings provide an interesting and valuable case study for teaching students the importance of rhetoric and…

Self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) is presented as way that middle school students with learning disabilities can learn task-specific strategies for composing. A strategy for planning expository essays is discussed, along with the PLAN and WRITE strategies for teaching basic parts of an essay, different types of sentences, synonyms, and…

Consider need for new pedagogy to address reading needs of high school students. Discusses different kinds of instruction used in a summer remedial program including instruction in: reading strategies; phonics and study skills; reciprocal teaching; grade level content; writing strategies; and rubrics. Concludes that students also need to…

Using ingenuity and an IBM grant, an assistant professor of special education paired 40 teacher education students in her methods courses with middle-school writing partners from the teachers' classes for moderately handicapped students. Using electronic mail, the pairs communicated often on various topics. Friendships developed, along with…