Writing Process

Students must learn an effective approach to completing a writing task. Whether we assign a lab report or an in-class timed essay, we should explicitly teach students how to effectively engage in each step in the writing process. Do we want to apply the writing process to every writing assignment? Not exactly. Students will complete all sorts of writing tasks like quickwrites, journals, and reflections that do not require "prewriting" and revision. Students, however, should be given multiple opportunities to learn different writing processes through authentic writing tasks that we assign across the content areas. Teaching students how to recognize and respond appropriately to various types of writing tasks will help them succeed in any writing situation.

Take a few minutes to explore the different teaching and learning tools on this page. The "Literacy TA Process" and "School-wide" sections provide important details about how to teach the strategy. The "Strategy Slides" can be used to learn more about "The Writing Process" and/or to teach students about the strategy. Once you are familiar with the content, think about how you might use the different elements provided on this page to enhance literacy instruction.

• ask students, "What are the steps to the writing process?" Or, "What do we know about this type of academic task?"
• ask students to explain the difference between a "process paper" and a "timed writing task." Here is a follow-up question: "What can you do with a process paper that you can't do with a timed, in-class essay?"
• ask students to work in pairs to make a list of all the steps in the "Writing Process." As students share their ideas with the class, the teacher could make a list on the board. Students should revisit (and revise if necessary) their lists to ensure they have all the steps in the process. 

Assessing the Skill

When assessing the "Writing Process," teachers could...

• evaluate how students are completing specific steps in the process.
• compare papers that have been subject to a process to those that have been written without any structure. 
• use the assessment tool below to monitor and evaluate students' knowledge of the "Writing Process."
• ask students to write a brief reflection at the end of a writing assignment that explains how the "Writing Process" helped them complete the writing task.

Assessing Content Knowledge

Once we have taught students a writing process, we should evaluate how this skill improves their understanding of critical course concepts. When assessing students' knowledge of the content, teachers could...

• craft short answer prompts that ask students to articulate--in writing--the main ideas in a text.
• assign take-home or in-class writing tasks that require students to apply the "Writing Process" strategy.  
• ask students to complete the first half of the writing process which includes the brainstorm, thesis, and outline. Students will not turn in a draft or a paper. For this activity, we want students to demonstrate that they can engage in pre-writing activities. We can evaluate a student's content knowledge by simply reading his/her brainstorm, thesis, and outline.

Developing a Writing Purpose

Before we develop a writing task for our students, we must identify both skill-based and content-based learning objectives. From these objectives, we can make decisions about the types of writing assignments we will assign: Will it be in-class or take-home?; How and what will we evaluate?; What writing skills will our students need to learn before they are assessed?; What will we want our students to know and be able to do as a result of the assignment? Answers to questions like these will help guide our instructional decisions while giving clear purpose to our writing tasks.  

The writing process we choose to teach will depend on our writing purpose and the writing task itself. If we decide to give an in-class assignment, we will not utilize many of the steps that make up the "take-home" process. However, just because something is written in class (or written in a timed environment) doesn't mean we can't use elements from the take-home process like "Peer Review" and revision to teach our students how to write well. Consider a science teacher who has just asked her students to write a lab report in class. Students could take their "in-class" assignment home, revise and type the report, and bring it back to class the next day for a peer review writing workshop. English teachers could do the same with their timed writing essays. Certainly, the "timed" aspect of timed writing is important, but once the essay is written, we should create opportunities for our students to talk about and revise what they have written.  

Pacing and Supporting the Lesson

When introducing the "Writing Process," explain that writing situations (like in-class and take-home), writing types, and the disciplines themselves inform the writer about which process to use and which steps in the process are most applicable. Students need to understand that writing (and the writing process) is not reserved for the English classroom. Pre-writing, drafting, and revising--all elements of the "Writing Process"--are utilized in every field of study. Scientist write and revise as often as historians, and mathmaticians. Make transparent how the writing process happens in each content area so that students begin to understand that this is a skill that mature writers possess and not an activity that happens in the English classroom. 

The "Writing Process" is most effective when students are given an opportunity to plan, draft, and revise multiple writing tasks throughout the year. In the beginning...

• teach students that there is a different writing process for in-class and out-of-class (or take-home) assignments.    
• show how the writing process is influenced by the assignment, the writing type, the writing situation, and the discipline. 
• have students work together on each step in the process.
• show how each step in the process helps students write with greater proficiency. 

Learning the Skill

Here are a few ways to help introduce the "Writing Process." 

• Begin with a discussion about two common writing situations in school: in-class (or timed) writing tasks and take-home (or process) writing tasks. For each process, there are different steps and expectations. Students need to understand how to successfully approach each type of writing situation. Go to the Handout Bar to learn more about the process for in-class and take-home assignments.   
• Develop a writing prompt for an in-class assignment and a take-home assignment and lead students through an authentic experience for each step in each process.

Developing the Skill

As students develop their ability to engage in the writing process, consider using the following strategies.

• Increase the amount of time students work together.
• Assign more sophisticated tasks as students become more competent at working with a process.
• Have students reflect on the purpose for having a process for writing. We could ask, "How does the process help you create and develop your ideas?"
• Slowly shift responsibility for the process from teacher to student.
• Walk around the room while students work together and provide feedback.

Mastering the Skill

Mastery of any skill takes time, lots of practice, and a solid understanding of the strategy. Consider applying some of the following approaches as students master the "Writing Process."

• Have students share their process with the whole class.
• Reduce the amount of time given to complete the process.
• Have students use the strategy rubric to assess their own growth.
• Ask students how they might use the writing process for writing tasks across the content areas. 
• Challenge students with increasingly sophisticated tasks.

Mastering the Skill

Mastery of any skill takes time, lots of practice, and a solid understanding of the strategy. Consider applying some of the following approaches when developing students' mastery of "Peer Review."

• Expect groups to monitor their own behavior and productivity.
• Expect students to produce more in a shorter amount of time.
• Have students use the strategy rubric to assess their own collaborative work.
• Direct students to solve their own problems while working in collaborative groups.  
• Challenge students with increasingly sophisticated tasks.

School Wide

In order to make a strategy transferable through a department and across a school, the name of the strategy must stay the same and it must be implemented and talked about in the same way. Although reading purposes may change from class to class, unit to unit, the work behind a strategy must be predictable and consistent for our students. When a set of effective literacy strategies are implemented throughout the school day, students gain a deep knowledge of how to use the strategy, when to use it, and most importantly, why to use it. The goal for school-wide literacy, therefore, is to develop students' mastery of a select set of strategies so that they can independently and strategically employ them in rigorous academic and professional environments.

English Description

In the English classroom, students produce formal compositions. Teachers use these writing tasks to (1) assess students' ability to clearly and effectively communicate ideas; and (2) evaluate their knowledge of grammar and writing conventions. Typically, these compositions are produced in class during timed writing exams or at home over a specific period of time (often referred to as process essays). Although the in-class essay is completed within an hour, there is a process that helps students successfully craft a paper for the exam. For take home essays, there is another process--albeit lengthier--that engages students in a variety of activities, helping them produce quality writing. Refer to the "Strategy Slides" and "Downloads" to learn more about the writing process for timed and process essays.

Math Description

Math students are not required to write essays, but they do engage in short writing tasks like reflections, process summaries, and descriptions. Although these types of writing tasks do not require planning and drafting, math teachers could ask their students to revise their written work. Click the "Strategy Slides" to learn more about the writing process. Some steps in the process might be applicable.

Science Description

In the science classroom, students produce lab reports, academic summaries, and various analytical responses. Utilizing a predictable writing process with these types of assignments can prove useful for our students. We might also teach students a writing process for short answer responses--a type of exam question common in science classes. Refer to the "Strategy Slides" and "Downloads" to learn more about the writing process.

Social Science Description

Students in social science classes like history, geography, and government produce formal compositions. Typically, these compositions are produced in class during timed writing exams or at home over a specific period of time. Although the in-class essay is completed within an hour, there is a process that helps students successfully craft a paper for the exam. For take home essays, there is another process--albeit lengthier--that engages students in a variety of activities, helping them produce quality writing. Refer to the "Strategy Slides" and "Downloads" to learn more about the writing process for timed and process essays.

Standardized Exams Description

Most standardized exams include a timed essay and or questions that require short answer responses. Students should come to the exam ready for these types of assessments; they need a strategy for prompt analysis and a strategy for writing the essay. Refer to the "Strategy Slides" and "Downloads" on this page to learn more about the writing process for timed essays. For more on prompt analysis, refer to the "Analyzing a Prompt" writing strategy.