Helps students discover for themselves how to do their best writing.

• Portrays writing as a way of thinking and processing information and encourages students to discover each of the "mosaics" of the writing process as they learn how the pieces of their own writing strategy work together to form a complete and coherent whole.

Focuses on purposes for writing -- recalling, observing, explaining, investigating, restating, analyzing, persuading, and problem solving.

Integrates reading and writing throughout the text.

• Demonstrates the companion skills of reading and writing as parts of a larger process that moves back and forth through the tasks of prereading/reading, prewriting/writing, and revising/editing.

Expands students' knowledge of levels of language use, levels of understanding, and levels of analysis -- rather than requiring students to practice skills in isolation.

Allows chapters to be taught in any order.

Talks to students on their own level and uses a standardized, routine format and a consistent pedagogy from chapter to chapter (and from book to book) to build up students' expectations.

Illustrates all aspects of the student writing process in detail.

• Mirrors the recursive nature of the reading and writing processes.

Includes high-interest, low-readability, culturally-diverse reading selections.

• Prepares students for writing in the disciplines by using writing samples from college texts.

Reflects cultural diversity (lifestyle, race, age, religion, economics) throughout -- in instruction, reading selections, and writing samples.

Contains both professional and student writing samples in each chapter.

• The samples complement each other and are similar in theme.
• The samples emphasize slightly different aspects of the on-going writing process.
• Includes prereading journal assignments before each professional essay.
• Features multiple drafts of the student writings with revisions highlighted.

Draws revising and editing exercises from the professional and student writings in each chapter.

• Includes collaborative assignments (for individuals, small groups, or the entire class) in revising and editing.

Concludes with reference guides.