Date of Award

1990

Type

Thesis

Major

Specialist in Education

Degree Type

Special Degree in Education

Department

Teacher Education

First Advisor

Dr. James M. Brewbaker

Second Advisor

Dr. Harold L. Whitman

Third Advisor

David Johnson

Abstract

For this project, a controlled composition-based exercise program was developed for use in the high school freshman English writing classroom. This non-error-based method utilized a four-stage design -- attention grabber exercises, rewriting exercises, proofreading practice and test exercises, and writing assignments -- to teach error remediation through writing. After the students were exposed to correctness in stage one, they were asked to make transformations, to practice proofreading, and finally to demonstrate knowledge of correct usage in both testing and writing modes.

Included in the program are two diagnostic tools, a student checklist, an introductory sentence section, and sections to address the following usage errors -- fused sentences, four types of sentence fragments, three types of lack of subject-verb agreement, and faulty possession. The materials were used with two high school freshman regular English classes for fourteen days. Prior to the beginning of the unit, the students' three areas of greatest need for remediation were determined through the two diagnostic tools. Next, the introductory section on sentences was taught to both classes. Finally, the students worked on their problem areas on an individual basis at their own pace.

With one exception, the results following the use of the materials showed that the students improved in each area after having completed the four stages in each error-remediation section. Students also generally reflected positive attitudes toward the program and displayed feelings of success.

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