Both a theoretical framework and some practical suggestions are included in this book intended to help educators improve the teaching of writing to high school students who are native speakers of nonstandard English dialects. The first chapter includes a brief background on the problem of writing in American schools, with special focus on the present writing achievement of nonstandard-dialect-speaking students. The second chapter reviews research on language variation, emphasizing factors related to the acquisition of literacy. Applying insights from recent research on both language variation and writing instruction, the final chapter presents specific suggestions for teaching writing to the special students under consideration. An extensive bibliography is included. (JD)