Intended for researchers, teachers, local and national policy makers, and others interested in writing, this volume explores the processes and development of writing, particularly in the context of writing instruction. Following a preface, the introduction discusses various perspectives on the activity of writing, such as writing as a cognitive act or as a contextual activity. The articles comprising the remainder of the volume cover a variety of topics, including the following: (1) presenting writing developmentally in schools; (2) national assessments of writing ability; (3) problems and the composing process; (4) revising; (5) how children cope with the cognitive demands of writing; (6) the nature and development of children's writing; (7) rhetorical choices in writing; (8) measuring the communicative effectiveness of prose; (9) writing, text, and the reader; and (10) an approach to writing in three curriculum areas. Author and subject indexes conclude the volume. (HTH)