The writing process is a structured way to teach students how to write.   Over time the process should become more fluid and recursive as students move back and forth between stages.  Students, if they are to improve, need to see writing instruction focused on the process rather than on the products all the time.  After I thoroughly teach the process and students have had ample time to practice each step, I post the steps and also have students carry a copy of them.  I think prewriting and revision are the keys to effective writing.

*Prewriting is the brainstorming stage. Graphic organizers are used to organize the topic and main ideas of the piece.

*Sloppy Copy/RoughDraft/First Draft

*Revision

*Proofreading

*Final Copy

*Publishing

I will be discussing each step of the process in future posts.   Even though the process here might look a bit different from others you  may have seen, it has worked very well for me over the years.