What a Process

The Writing Process describes five logical steps that writers follow in the creation of a quality piece of writing.

Step 1: Prewriting Also known as the brainstorming stage. Students think about their chosen topic and come up with ideas. Graphic organizers are often used to help map out some of the main points and details.

Step 2: Drafting The point at which students begin composing their work. Since the aim at this stage is to get thoughts down on paper, the focus is on ideas, not grammar or spelling.

Step 3: Revising A time to make major changes to improve the writing. This is a critical time to figure out what needs to be added, deleted, reorganized or developed in order to make the work more compelling. Students may get feedback from peers and teachers.

Step 4: Editing The step at which grammar, spelling and punctuation take center stage. Students may consult editing checklists and proofread their own and others' work.

Step 5: Publishing A time to share writing with others. This can take many forms, including Web publishing, displaying student work in the classroom, or even reading the work aloud to others.


Certainly, the Writing Process seems simple enough. But to be perfectly honest, those steps have often filled me with more questions than answers, particularly about how I can effectively explain, assign, and assess a piece of student work as it moves through the stages.

For one, how long should the process take--a few days, a week, two weeks? Does jotting down a few notes on a graphic organizer satisfy the prewriting requirement? More importantly, how do I help my students to move through the revision stage in a way that's truly productive?

These are some of the questions I'll be exploring in the upcoming weeks.