In this section, you will dive deeper into one of the strategies that we previously discussed: the writing process. You will explore how you can help students become more proficient writers by building an understanding that written products are created through the writing process. You can explicitly teach writing strategies to support students during the writing process. While the fundamental stages of the writing process stay consistent, the style might change based on the specific goals of each writing task and the specifics of your field.

Step 1: Read

The stages of the writing process include planning, goal setting, drafting, evaluating, revising and editing.

Students often move fluidly between these stages as they reflect, get feedback and revise their writing. Strong writers use the steps in the writing process flexibly, adapting them to the nature of a writing activity—not all writing is extended formal writing, but strong writers still move through a process of planning and improving their writing even for informal writing tasks. During your classroom instruction, you can find opportunities to model and explicitly teach writing strategies to support your students in developing the skills to become practiced, flexible writers attentive to purpose and audience. Students can reflect on their own thinking and practice to move their learning forward.

Now, explore the stages of the writing process by hovering your mouse over each card to review the definition on the back of each card.

Planning

During this phase, writers gather information from reading, prior knowledge and interactions with peers to generate content that will help them organize their writing.

Goal Setting

In this phase, writers identify objectives and goals for their writing, connecting these goals to plans and strategies as they move forward.

Drafting

Writers choose words and phrases that accurately represent their ideas, transcribing these ideas into sentences and written language.

Evaluating

This phase involves self-assessment and peer feedback cycles to determine if the written work aligns with the goals set for that writing.

Revising

Writers make changes to the text based on self-assessment and feedback from peers.

Editing

During this phase, writers ensure that their text adheres to the conventions of written language.

Step 2: Reflect

Respond to the following questions. You may wish to capture your thinking in your journal space.

As you review the different stages of the writing process, how do they relate to the specific demands of writing within your discipline and different written product types that your students develop in your discipline?
In what ways can you integrate planning and goal-setting strategies into your instruction to support students in meeting the writing requirements within your discipline?
In what ways can you integrate and scaffold self-assessment and feedback opportunities as your students engage in writing tasks?

Step 3: Read

Let's take a moment to read the resource, Evidence-Based Strategies for Each Component of the Writing Process. The table offers sample evidence-based strategies, print and digital, for each component of the writing process.

As you review this table, fill out the last column and think about what opportunities you might provide for students during each phase of the writing process to support them as they learn their identity as writers.

Step 4: Reflect

Take a moment to review the table you just completed with the evidence-based strategies for each component of the writing process. Think about one strategy you can use when engaging students in writing tasks within your discipline. In your journal space, reflect on how you would teach one of these writing strategies in your lesson. You can use the following prompts to guide your thinking.

What evidence-based strategy will I focus on?
What actions must I take as an educator to support my students during this component of the writing process?
What outcomes do I expect to observe in my students as a result of this action?

Try It Out!

Try out this strategy during your next lesson. Then, talk to a colleague about what worked well and what you might change as you continue to try out this strategy in your classroom.