Stages of the Writing Process

There is a specific process when we follow when we formally write that is made up of five steps: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.

Prewriting:
Topic – The first step to prewriting is choosing a topic. In our classroom, it is the student writer’s responsibility to choose a topic for the most part. I want to allow as much freedom as possible. There are several options available to help them with choosing a topic. Each student will keep a writing folder with a list of possible topics for the future. They may also take a “tour of the classroom” to look at what other kids are writing about to possibly spark an idea. There is a “topic box” that is for students to draw from to possibly stir an idea. Students are encouraged to drop a good topic into the box.
Purpose – After students choose a topic, they must also decide their purpose for writing. Why are they writing?
Audience – Who are they writing to? This is important because they may choose words based on who the audience is.
Form – How are they going to say the message? They may choose to write a letter, poem, story, or research report form.
Gathering and Organizing – Before jumping write into writing, students will pre-write to gather their thoughts about their topic. They can also research a topic before beginning. The idea is to figure out what they know so they can include the information in their writing. They may do this by drawing, clustering, talking, reading, role-playing, or quick-writing.

Drafting:
After figuring out what they might want to include, the next step is to get their ideas down on paper or write a “draft.” They are not to necessarily worry about spelling, grammar, punctuation, or organization. The students are to write on every other line during this stage. I ask that the students use pen so I can see all of their ideas. They will not worry about erasing unwanted information. After a completed rough draft, I will stamp their paper with “rough draft” so that we keep their writing straight.

Revising:
Let’s take another look at what we wrote. During this stage, students look back over their work and determine if what they wrote makes sense. The ideal time to revise is 72 hours but sometimes we will come back to their writing the next day.
The students will:
• Reread rough draft
• Share in writing group or with a partner
• Make any revisions which may include moving, adding, or deleting
• Conference with the teacher about their writing

Editing:
This is where the little things count! They will edit for spelling, punctuation, grammar, capitalization, and handwriting. Editing is done out of consideration for the reader.

Publishing:
Publishing does not necessarily mean put the writing in a book. Publishing is the means of sharing their work with others. We might include an art project with a story or poem and post them on a bulletin board, laminate construction paper to make a book, create a class book, assemble a class magazine, or upload writing on a blog or website. The possibilities for sharing work are endless!