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1. Prewriting
2. Drafting
3. Revising
4. Editing
5. Publishing

Citations:
Higgens, B. , Miller, M. and Wegmann, S. (2006), Teaching to the Test…Not! Balancing Best Practice and Testing Requirements in Writing. The Reading Teacher, 60: 310-319

Tompkins, G. E., & Jones, P. D. (2012). Teaching writing: Balancing process and product. NY, NY: Pearson.

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Definition:The Prewriting or initial stage is defined as “ the getting ready to write stage” (Tompkins, 6). This is the stage in which a student selects a topic of interest, a purpose for the writing assignment, and begins thinking about the details to support this topic/main idea. Gathering all of the information and details about the assignment and the topic before the writing begins (Tompkins, 6). However, the planning does not just occur during this stage, but rather continues throughout the writing process (Higgens et al., 312).

Personal Experience:Throughout my years in school I always found this stage to be very challenging to select a topic or idea to begin writing about. Having students complete an activity like the top ten moments is a great idea, so they can refer back throughout the year.

Observation from the classroom:I have been able to observe students during this stage of the writing process. My mentor teacher explains to the student’s what type of writing they will be completing and then the student selects the topic of interest. For example, the students completed a narrative piece and many of the students discussed what they did over the summer or an exciting moment that they had recently experienced.

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Definition:The second stage of the writing process is referred to as the Drafting stage. This stage students write about their topic of interest without any restraints, such as grammar or mechanics (Higgens et al., 312). Students “pour out ideas” without worrying about potential mistakes (Tompkins, 8).

Personal Experience:Personally, I have always enjoyed the drafting process of writing because I was able to just write and record all of my thoughts and ideas about my writing without worrying about making mistakes. In elementary and middle school, I would use many pieces of lined paper during this stage to write as detailed as possible. I would also focus on my transition sentences and “leads” (Tompkins, 8). Opening sentences are very important to emphasize in your writing because they should grab the audience and draw them in to continue reading (Tompkins, 8).

Observation from the classroom: The students within the classroom that I am observing work on the drafting process during multiple classes to ensure that they have enough time to really elaborate on their topics and ideas. The students complete their drafts on lined paper, skipping lines between. Tompkins discusses that skipping lines is important to help make corrections and revisions (8).

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Definition:The third stage of the writing process is referred to as the Revising stage. During this stage the writer “clarify and refine their ideas” (Tompkins, 9). The students will complete a series of events during the revising stage, such as rereading the rough draft, sharing the rough draft, and making proper revisions based on feedback (Tompkins, 9-11). Feedback for revisions comes in a variety of ways including, peer groups, revision centers based on area of need, and teacher conferences (Higgens et al., 312). During this stage the writer begins to make changes to their writing, and the writing receives additional support.

Personal Experience:During my elementary and middle school years the revision stage of writing that was, popular was peer editing. We would bring our papers or writings to class in hard copies and share them with a classmate or two and they would read and provide feedback about our drafts. This was a great strategy to implement because it allowed another set of eyes to read the paper and provide constructive feedback to make the writing stronger.

Observation from the classroom:A common revising strategy that is used in my classroom is the use of a checklist provided by the teacher regarding the necessary information that needs to be included within the writing. My mentor teacher prints out writing checklists for all the students that they must complete and turn in along with their rough draft before they receive feedback from the teacher. The writing checklist includes areas like content and conventions, and along each statement is a checkbox. The student must read through their writing and check off the box when they have met that goal/statement. This is a great strategy to help students become stronger editors of their own writing

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Definition:Stage four of the writing process is the Editing stage. Students at this time focus on the grammar and mechanics of their paper to strengthen the writing and meet the goal that the paper is “optimally readable” (Tompkins, 12) (Higgens et al., 312). This is a time when stepping away from your writing and returning later is very helpful to gain a “fresh” perspective (Tompkins, 12). Teachers and peers/classmates play a role in this stage because they serve as additional resources to help edit and provide feedback. Editing centers, are a great way to help students work on specific areas of need, such as spelling or punctuation (Tompkins, 13-14). Based on the feedback that was given to the students they now begin to make those corrections and finalize their writing.

Personal Experience:The editing phase is important because, the corrections have now been made to the writing, and the strength of the writing increases. I remember vividly having class periods assigned to editing because it is such an important part of the writing process. We would bring in our rough draft and work on the final writing piece by making corrections based on the revising feedback that was received from peers, as well as our teacher.

Observation from the classroom:The editing phase for writing within my classroom looks similar to my own experience because this is the time for students to make corrections and edits to their writing. My mentor teacher provides another checklist similar to the one provided during the revising stage that the student  completes prior to turning in their final writing. The students are always required to read through their writing three times before submitting it, to ensure that they have caught all errors and mistakes.

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Definition:The final stage of the writing process is the Publishing stage. The publishing stage is defined as when the student creates a book or types his/her final piece (Higgens et al., 312). This stage is a way to conclude the writing process and for students to share what they have done with an audience. (Tompkins, 15). This final stage may just be the students typing their writing on document, posting it online, sharing with parents, submitting to a literary magazine or they may create a book or piece of art to go along with the writing (Tompkins, 15-16).

Personal Experience: During the stages of writing the most exciting part for me was the publishing stage, because it solidifies the hard work that you have put into this assignment and you now have a tangible item to represent that work. I remember my elementary school would select students writing from all grade levels and submit them to a book and they would print the book at the end of the year. I also published many of my writings by typing them and sharing them with family and friends.

Observation from the classroom: The students in my classroom have published their writings in a variety of ways from typing them on GoogleDocs, to creating a photo to match/support their writing and mounting them on paper to display in the hallway. These are all ways in which we can display and publish students writing.