Blog 3: Writing is a PrOcEsS!!!

As we all know, writing is a process. In this process there are five key features. The five features in order are prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and publishing. In the prewriting process, students get to choose a topic, figure out the purpose of the paper and create ideas. When students get to choose their own topic, their paper usually comes out stronger because they are writing about something they are actually interested in. When students need to come up with interesting ideas, they can actually engage in “rehearsal activities”. Basically when students take field trips, read books or even just view videos, they are gathering ideas from what they are doing and engaging in rehearsal activity.

In drafting, this is when students put their own ideas down on paper. It is best for students to skip lines when they write so they can leave space for revisions. The students usually mark ROUGH DRAFT so everyone knows it is their first copy. When writing the rough draft, spelling or punctuation doesn’t matter. The main point of the rough draft is the students content. In revising, students can do multiple things like: rereading their draft, sharing their drafts with others students aka “writing groups” or conferencing with the teacher. I would say the students would enjoy the writing groups a lot because they get to share with the fellow classmates and get the opportunity to get feedback to make their paper better.

In the editing process, students should proofread to find errors in their papers and correct these errors. When students proofread, they should be looking for any and all kinds of errors. These errors can range from spelling to punctuation to just having the wrong word all together. (Having the wrong word has happened to me, many times.) When students edit their paper they can use an edit checklist. With this checklist, students should have an editor to also look over their paper. Both the author and the editor go over the paper and through the checklist to make sure they find all mistakes. Once they believe they have found all the mistakes, they can correct them and move on to publishing! Publishing is the final step in the writing process. Students can share their writing with others, make final copies of the writing or read from the authors’ chair. Examples of students sharing their writing are: sending it to a pen pal, submitting their work to a writing contest, reading it at a school assembly or even sharing it with their parents.

My favorite as a child was making the final copies. I remember when we got the chance to write a story, publish it and make it into a book. I wrote about the twelve months in a year. I was so proud of myself when I finished it. It was one of the coolest things I have ever done. That is something I will never forget, especially since my parents still have the book!