The PRIMALS Compendium of Teaching Resources

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Literacy Compendium Kit

E N G L I S H L E S S O N PL ANS F I L I P I N O L E S S O N PL ANS L IT ERACY S TRATEGIES

Writing and Composition

Teaching t he Writing Process

O ne goa l of t h e English This guide offers ways in
cu r r ic ulum is t o develop which the teacher can
learners in t o practiced, logical, develop the learners'
clear, a n d honest writers. In writing skills by going
English, writing is t a u g h t as through the stages of
"process" — t h a t is, thinking, the Writing Process.
planning, d r a f t in g t he text,
t he n reviewing, discussing,
redrafting, editing, polishing,
a n d finishing it. It's also
i m p o r t a n t t h a t students learn
t o write "on call" o r "on demand."
Lear ning these skills take time
a n d practice.

Table o f Contents:

Background/Research Base 2
Purpose/Benefits 3
Description/Procedure 3
How Teachers Can Make
t h e Strategy Work 6
Applications Across
t he Cur riculum 7
C OM P OS IT I ON
W RI T I NG A N D
 Writing and Composition

Teaching the Writing Process

Background / Research Base

Learning t o write, a n d write well, is a crucial life

skill. N o t only does it help one succeed in school,
it’s vital t o success in t he “real” world too. In
today’s wired world, people co mmun i ca t e t h r o u g h
t he written word o n a daily basis via email a n d
text. And when today’s elementary a n d h i g h
school students enter t he work force, they will b e
expected t o know how t o
fire u p their compu t e rs a n d write coherent, intelligent
c ont ent n o m at t e r what field they choose.

Since Murray (1972) published way proficient writers write. In using

his manifesto “Teach Writing as a
Process Not Product,” this
phrase became a rallying cry for
many teachers of writing. This
resulted
in a paradigm shift that moved the
focus on written products to writing
processes (Hairston, 1982).
The writing process—prewriting,
drafting, revising and editing,
rewriting, publishing—mirrors the
the writing process, students will be
able to break writing into manageable
chunks and focus on producing
quality material. The final stage,
publishing, ensures that students
have an audience. Students can even
coach each other during various
stages of the process for further
emphasis on audience and greater
collaboration during editing.

2 The PRIMALS C o m p e n d i u m o f T eac hing Resources | LITERACY STRATEGY GUIDES

A number of studies have recognized
the benefits of a process-oriented
approach to writing instruction.
The writing process approach, with
its links to the writing workshop
movement (Graves, 1983; Calkins
1998), focuses on writers and how to
do the things that writers really do
– just in a classroom.
According to the International
Literacy Association (2018), studies
have shown that students who learn
the writing process score better on
state writing tests than those who
receive only specific instruction in
the skills assessed on the test. This
type of authentic writing produces
lifelong learners and allows students
to apply their writing skills to all
subjects.
Studies have also shown (Cox, 2019)
that students who learn the writing
process score better on tests. It
also helps students to apply the
skills that they learn to all subjects.
You can help your students by
guiding them through the writing
process throughout the school
year. By the
end of the year, your students should
have mastered this process.
In addition, studies have shown
that writing helps boost student
achievement across the board
because it actively engages
children. It requires them to take
in
information, organize their thoughts,
sort through all of the information
they’ve
Purposereceived and then process it
/ Benefits
(Dalporto, 2013).
The writing process involves teaching
students to write in a variety of
genres, encouraging creativity, and
incorporating writing conventions.
This process can be used in all areas
of the curriculum and provides an
Wr i t i n g a n d Co m p o s i t i o n
excellent way to connect instruction
with state or national writing
standards (ILA, 2018).
Writing, according to Dalporto (2013)
also—
• aids retention;
• increases the depth of knowledge
on a subject and helps students
master any specialized vocabulary
or terminology related to the topic;
• develops critical thinking skills; and
• promotes independent thinking
In exploring the whys and hows of
the Writing Process, students learn
more about the things they love, or
about themselves. It can “show them
how to communicate their ideas
more clearly, and share them with a
broader audience. It can help them
be better students, and set them up
for a more successful future. It could
be the path to discovering a passion
and building a career, or merely to
cultivating
a fun hobby to enjoy on the side.”
(Studentreasures Blog, 2018).
Description / Procedure
The writing process is an approach
to writing that entails five main
components: Pre-writing, drafting,
revising and editing, rewriting, and,
finally, publishing. Teachers use a
combination of instruction, modeling,
and conferencing, along with a few
other teaching strattegies to teach
students the writing process (ILA,
2018, Cox, 2019). An idealized version
of the process is shown by the linear
model in Figure 1. However, Murphy
(2018) pointed out that, in reality, the
process is recursive, as shown in
the Accurate Model in Figure 1.
| Te a c h i n g t h e Wr i t i n g Pr o c e s s 3
 Figure 1. The Writing Process: Linea r Mo d e l vs Ac c u rate
Model (Murphy, 2018)
LINEAR MODEL
Prewrite Draft Revise
ACCURATE MODEL
Revise
Prewrite
Draft
1. Pre-Writing
This first phase of the writing process,
the planning phase, is the brainstorming
phase. Students ca n use graphic
organizers, drawing, pictures, o r lists t o
help them d u ri n g this stage. This stage
helps students focus their thoughts,
t o narrow o r expand what they will
be writing about. It is a g o o d time for
students t o organize their th o ugh ts o n
paper.
2. Drafting
Students use the information from
the prewriting stage a n d craft it into
a rou gh draft. The goal is for students
t o take the jumbled t ho ugh ts t h a t they
h a d brainstormed a n d p u t it into
actual sentences. A this stage, students
d o n o t have t o worry a b o u t spelling,
grammar, o r any punctuation. They are
free t o expand their t ho ug hts into fluent
sentences t h a t make sense. Peer
conferences o r informal conferences
with the teacher c an help the student
get feedback o n their writing piece.
3. Revising and Editing
Students look a t their main idea o r
c on ce pt a n d develop their to pi c even
more, o r a d d a n d / o r delete
information. This is one of the most
i mp o r t a n t stages in the writing
process. This step takes a lot of time
a n d usually requires a peer o r teacher
t o help as students d o the following:
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Edit Publish
Edit
Publish
• Look a t their sentence struct ure
a n d make sure it flows.
• A dd transition words a n d switch
p arag ra phs t o make sense.
• A dd verbs a n d phrases t o expand
the topic.
• Look a t their piece t o make sure
they have a clear voice.
• Edit t he piece f or any errors of
grammar, spelling,
punct uation, writing
mechanics, etc.
4. Rewriting
This is the second dra f t phase, where
students incorporate their edits a n d
revisions int o a ro ug h draft. Students
need t o be mindful a n d careful when
rewriting t heir d raf t so they don’t leave
any new changes out.
5. Publishing
This last step in the writing process
c a n be d on e by allowing students t o
type their final piece, o r make it int o
a book, o r even a newspaper. This is
the f un p a r t where students get t o
see all of their h a rd work in print. The
students’ final accomplishments ca n
be p u t u p o n a bulletin board, o r h u n g
in t he hallway f or all t o see. When
students know t h a t everyone will see
what they have written, they will work
t h a t muc h harder.
EXAMPLE

The following is a nutshell example f or Grade 4 (Paterno & Hermosa, 1991), with summary
descriptions of each stage in the Writing Process. Students g o t h r o u g h the writing process
in writing a b o u t a special event, as a culminating activity f or a unit in Reading called
“Make it Happen.” The example may look short b u t the activity is implemented across
several sessions.

Writing Ab o u t a Special Event

(Paterno & Hermosa, 1991)

Introduction / In this unit, you read a b o u t special events in the lives of different
Prompt characters a n d what those characters d i d t o make their special events
happen. Mouse wanted t o watch waves crash o n t he beach, so he made
a difficult journey t o the seashore. For Segunda, learning t o read a n d
write a n d c o u n t was a special event, so she worked h a rd t o convince
Felipe t o teacher her.
Think of a special event t h a t you ma de happen. Imagine t h a t you are
telling a friend a b o u t it. Write a p a r a g r a ph t h a t describes your special
event a n d what you d i d t o make it happen.

PREWRITING Listing: Make a list of some special events t h a t have h ap pe ne d in your

life, a n d choose one you want t o write about. Read t he list below for
suggestions:

• playing in a music o r da nc e recital

• planning a b irt hda y pa rt y
• getting a p a r t in a class play

Clustering: Look a t Mouse’s cluster. Make one like it. First, label your
special event, a n d draw a circle a r o u n d your label. Then a d d some
spokes. O n each spoke, write something t h a t you d i d t o make the event
happen.

DRAFTING Visualizing: Close your eyes. Try t o see yourself o n t he day of your special
event. O p e n your eyes. Use your cluster t o help you write a p a ra g r a p h
a b o u t your special event. Tell how you felt after the event was over.

REVISING Put your p a ra g r a p h away. Later read it aloud.

Ask yourself: Did I leave anyt hing out? Will people reading it un ders t and
how I felt?

PROOFREADING Check for errors in grammar, spelling, o r punctuation. Use the class
checklist for this purpose. Then make a neat copy of your paragraph.

PUBLISHING Read your p a ra g ra p h a b o u t your special event t o your class. Then a d d it

t o a class poster of “Events We Ma d e Happen.”

Wr i t i n g a n d Co m p o s i t i o n | Te a c h i n g t h e Wr i t i n g Pr o c e s s 5
 How Teachers Can Make The Strategy Work
Teaching writing as a process, not
merely a means to an end, is the
key to showing students how to
navigate language on their own.
The following tips (Studentreasures
Blog, 2018) are suggested to
make the lessons engaging and
unforgettable.
Tip #1: Practice Writing
Regularly
Encouraging regular practice is the
number one way to improve your
students’ skills and build both a
longer attention span and a sense
of flow.
Tip #2: Write One Step at a
Time
This approach to teaching the
writing process is especially helpful
for younger students who may
have more difficulty focusing on a
single assignment for long periods
of time. You can easily break the
process down into short, bite-sized
lessons revolving around one
stage at a time, so that the first
lesson is about brainstorming, the
second is about rough drafts, the
third about editing strategies—
and so on.
Tip #3: Experiment With Different
Writing Strategies
Rather than give all of your (and
your students’) energy to a select
few techniques, foster a more
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creative atmosphere by allowing
your students to experiment with a
wide variety.
This helps students grow and
flourish as writers by allowing
them each to find the strategies
that play to their individual
strengths and help make their
writing shine. It also opens their
minds up to the idea that there
are a number of good approaches
to responding to any one writing
prompt. It’s an invitation to
thinking outside of the box and
the perfect way to instill in them a
healthy sense of curiosity.
Tip #4: Explore the “Why”
of Writing
When teaching the writing process
to students, there’s one
important question that needs to
be discussed early and often:
“Why?” The purposes behind each
writing form, from expository to
narrative to opinion essays, are
important, but you can go
beyond that to delve into what
significance their writing could
have outside of the classroom.
There’s also another why that
should be explored—the personal,
individual “why” that motivates
your students to write. It’s not
the teacher’s job to answer this
question for them, but to help
them answer it for
themselves.
 References

Calkins, L. (1998) The ar t of teaching

writing.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Cox, C. (2012). Literat u re Based Teaching in

the Content Areas. Thousand Oaks,
Applications Across CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
The Curriculum

Cox, J. (2019). Teaching strategies to

Some teachers have expressed implement the writing process. In
concern over writing across the TEACHHUB.com. Retrieved from
https://www.te
curriculum. Math and science, achhub.com/teaching- strategies-
and social studies teachers implement-writing-process

may worry they’ll have to spend

Dalporto, D. (2013). Writing a c ross the
an inordinate amount of time curriculum: What, H ow, Why? In We Are
teaching writing skills and have Teachers. Retrieved from https://www.
weareteachers.com/writing-across-the-
to become experts on the five curriculum-what-how-and-why/
stages of the writing process and
the six traits of writing. But this
Gil, C (2016). The teaching corner: H ow to
is not the goal of writing across teach the writing process t o students.
the curriculum. The point is In Teach.com-Teach Make a Difference.
Retrieved from https://teach.com/
deeper learning, not a perfectly
blog/how-to-teach-writing-process-to-
developed writing product as one students/
would aim for in English class.
Graves, D., (1983), Writing: Teachers &
Non-language arts teachers are Children At Work USA: Heinemann
not expected to teach writing
as a process. There are other ILA (2018). Strategy guide: Implementing
ways to incorporate writing into the writing process. In Read-Write-
Think. ILA/NCTE Retrieved from
content area lessons such as
htt p://
journal writing, quick-writes, www.readwritethink.org/professional-
writing for research, etc. Some development/strategy-guides/
implementing-writing-process-30386.
of these strategies are html
presented elsewhere in this
Compendium. Still, in the Paterno, M. & Hermosa, N. (1991). Our
World of Reading 4. Pasig City:
language arts classroom, Anvil Publishing, Inc.
students can use the process to
write about topics that are
relevant to content areas.

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