7+Steps+of+the+Writing+Process

Strategy 7: Steps of the Writing Process
This is a “real-world” process and it works well for writing in any content area. Not all of the steps should be followed for every piece of writing, but the entire process is especially useful for polished pieces of writing such as research papers. For many assignments, just two or three steps will be used. For the writing process to work well, the classroom climate is important.

Students learn about the “writing process” in English classes, as a sequence of steps:
 * Brainstorm
 * Pre-write
 * Write rough draft
 * Peer-review
 * Revise ideas
 * Edit
 * Publish

Here are some important ways to set a positive climate for writing:
 * Establish constructive purposes for student writing
 * Find real audiences, beyond the teacher, for students’ writing
 * Demonstrate the process that mature writers go through
 * Teach students how to help one another; organize classroom activities to foster collaboration
 * Show students that it is safe to ask for help
 * Write with your students

Adapted from //Content-Area Writing//, //Every Teacher’s Guide// Daniels, Zemelman and Steineke p. 126.


 * Homework:** Take a look at the components of the writing process and a positive writing climate and choose one aspect that you would like to focus on with your classes. In the discussion tab, write about what you would do to help students with this. Also, make a list of the kinds of writing opportunities students have for using the writing process in your classroom.