MP3
Try covering with dirt first,

andrea
when were seeding grass in our back yard, we would just scatter seed in bare spots and let nature take its course. just toss it and leave it be. we now have a full lawn. good luck. :]

Malty21
If the sun is hitting the straw you will bake the existing grass. Thatch, lay seed, and then place a topping over new seeded area.

J W
Sure you can.

Bug D
Grass seed only needs to be raked into the soil and not covered. Additionally, using straw will be a real problem because straw has seeds in it which will become weeds in your lawn. Just keep your soil uniformly moist, but not wet. Get a blended seed so that some seeds come up quickly (like ryegrass) and some higher quality seeds (bluegrass for example) will germinate later. The early seeds act as a nursery for the later germinating seeds. If you are in the south, get a seed mix that's appropriate for your area at a local nursery or garden center. Finally, fall is the best time to plant grass seed, not spring. In the fall, most weeds have already germinated for the year, nights are getting cooler, and water is usually more plentiful while the soil is still warm. It's a better option if you have it. You didn't think this would be easy, did you? Bug Doc

John R
until I started using sod that was the only way I ever seeded grass. Works good as the straw helps keep the seed in damp soil. Used the sod for some areas where the seed always blew out.