Process Writing

Prepared and presented by

Mary Jane Kurabinski
NJ Department of Education
What is Process Writing?
 a continual movement among the
different steps of the writing model

 a fluid process created by writers as

they write

 a way to become a writer through

writing
5 Stages of the Model

 Prewriting
 Drafting
 Revising
 Editing
 Publishing
Prewriting
 Planning

 Gathering information
 Graphic organizers
 Brainstorming
Drafting
 Rough draft/”sloppy copy”

 Purpose, Audience, Genre

 Composition
 “Don’t write about man,
write about a man.”

- E. B. White
Revising

 Improving the first draft

 Rereading
 Sharing with a partner or small group
 Conferencing with the teacher
 “Don’t say the old lady screamed. Bring
her on and let her scream.”

- Mark Twain
Revising

 Focusing on the revisions

 Word selection
 Sentences
 Organization of the total piece of writing
Editing

 Correcting mechanical errors

 Being accountable against a
“list of unacceptable errors”
Publishing
 Informal vs. Formal
 Newsletter
 Bulletin Board
 Contests
 Recording of writing
 Illustrating/performing the writing
 Class book/anthology
 Reading to principal
 Literacy/Family night to showcase work
Writing Workshop
 Block of time – every day for students
to write using the process
 Mini-lessons
 Conferencing and individualized
instruction based on student’s
 background
 interests
 perceptions
 ideas, etc.
Mini-lessons
 Categories of lessons (Atwell, p. 153)
 Procedural (rules, routines)
 Craft (what author’s consider when they
write)
 Conventions (what we need to do to be
understood)
 Strategies of good writers
Mini-lessons
 Figurative language  Writer’s craft
 Main character  Mechanics
development  Teacher-modeled
 Sequels writing (Be
 Voice/point of view transparent!)
 Author studies
 Types of writing
Conferencing
 Meet with child regularly
 Discuss
 Selection of topic
 Improvement of work
 Importance of work to the student/task
 Related work
 Value to the child’s portfolio
 Next steps
What does the classroom look
like?

 During the mini-lesson

 During the writing block

 The rest of the day

 Questions/Discussion