A pre-instruction questionnaire was used with two small group writing classes at Goodwill Industries of the Miami Valley, Inc. (Ohio). The questionnaire was designed to provide as much information as possible about the students\u27 knowledge and background in writing. The survey had four purposes: determine what kinds of writing students currently did or had done in the past, identify what types of writing interested the students, get each student\u27s view of his/her writing, and determine whether students had thought about what personal goals they wanted to achieve by completing the course. Five categories of questions were included. The first set of questions were types questions that gave a sense of the students\u27 experience with writing and types of writing. The second group were likes/dislikes questions in which students identified what they liked and did not like about writing. The third group included comfort level questions that determined how comfortable students felt writing. The fourth category contained self-analysis questions in which students thought about themselves as learners, writers, and goal setters. The final two questions were general questions--one that asked if the student had ever kept a diary or journal and another that asked if students received a newspaper at home. Results of the questionnaire helped the instructor plan and teach the class
