Room 129 utilizes a process for writing that I believe, promotes greater proficiency and creates better writers . Below is a rationale to explain the benefits of the process followed by the process we use in room 129.
The writing process—prewriting, drafting, revising and editing, rewriting, publishing—mirrors the way proficient writers write. In using the writing process, your 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.
Studies show 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.
Success in writing greatly depends on a student’s attitude, motivation, and engagement. The writing process takes these elements into account by allowing students to plan their writing and create a publishable, final draft of their work of which they can be proud. It addresses students’ need for a real audience and to take the time to draft and redraft their work. You can help your students think carefully about each stage of their writing by guiding them through the writing process repeatedly throughout the year and across various content areas.
This is our writing process that we use in Room 129. We use this process for anything we write from Reader Responses to formal writing and creative writing.
Students consider their topics and pre plan. They may create outlines or use notes.
Students type their first drafts and print them.
First drafts are self edited. Then they are given to peers for peer editing.
Peer editors sign drafts that they edit
Students then make revisions based on their self and peer edited drafts
Students print their edited papers and bring them to me. I do a final edit. Sometimes I meet with students to discuss their style, content and finer points of their writing. We conference at my desk and I work individually with them to enhance their creative and structural methodology.
Students then return to make final revisions to their papers
Final drafts are then published in their self contained Weebly Blog as a Weebly post with three illustrations.
This is a lengthy process but we have gotten it down to about a week and a half. My hopes are to eventually whittle this down to less than a week or three class periods (double counting as 2 periods).
Why We Blog and Post Publishing—Encourage students to publish their works in a variety of ways, such as a class book, bulletin board, letters to the editor, school newsletter, or website. Having an authentic audience beyond the classroom gives student writing more importance and helps students to see a direct connection between their lives and their literacy development.
As always, if you have any questions please feel free to contact me at [email protected]