The Formal Writing ProcessDifferentiated Lit Session

Objectives & Agenda• Explain the five steps of the writing process and their

importance. • Guide students through these steps.

I. Introduction to Formal WritingII. Pre-Writing

- Brainstorming - Using Mentor Texts

III. DraftingIV. RevisingV. ProofreadingVI. PublishingVII. Session Closing

What is Formal Writing?• Formal Writing

• Extended written compositions that carry students through all the steps in the writing process

• Classic examples: book report, research paper, lab report• Informal Writing

• Short, quick daily lesson assignments to process new information• Does not carry students through all the steps in the writing

process

Table Talk:When would you use formal writing in your classroom?

So, when would you use it?• Why is this the kind of assignment that should be considered

“formal”? That is, why does it merit the class time needed to take it through the whole writing process?

• How does this specific assignment push students toward academic success and a better life path?

Key Ideas

• Formal writing uses a 5-step process:• Pre-writing• Drafting• Revising• Proofreading and Editing• Publishing and Presentation

• Each stage of the formal process needs to be explicitly taught and modeled by the teacher.

Pre-Writing: Brainstorming• The “discovery” and “rehearsal” stage• “Most writing occurs before the pen even hits the paper.”• Do not take for granted that students will follow these steps

naturally • Must be explicitly taught before creation begins

How?

• Free Write/Trigger Words• Personal Reflection• Concept Webs• Research Hunt• Outlines

Do Now

• Write in sentences the first story or thought that comes to mind when I say…• Monday morning• Consequences• Pride

Pre-Writing: Mentor Texts• Better Readers = Better Writers• Students must be exposed to examples of good writing and

varied techniques.• Students will internalize these and put their own spin on

writing styles and techniques.

IMITATEMimic stories, only smallchanges.

INNOVATEUse basic structure with bigchanges.

INVENTDraw on texts and structures they haveInternalized.

Mentor Texts• Three ways to use mentor texts:

Mentor Text: “Where I’m From”

ELA Teachers: PoemScience Teachers: Lab Report

• What would you want your students to take away from this piece of writing (in terms of text structures, patterns, style, language use, etc.)?• Descriptive language: ratio of nouns to adjectives• Use of metaphors• Imagery: Appealing to the senses

Drafting• Students transform (incoherent) brainstorm ideas into

(coherent) paragraphs.• Often students need the most support during this step. Do as

much in class as possible.

How?• Give students a clear map of what they need

to include and where it belongs.• Encourage students to keep momentum

going – might instruct them to skip a sentence or paragraph if having difficulty

Revising• Students make BIG changes to their writing draft by adding,

removing, or rearranging parts.• Focus is on ideas, content, and style of writing.• YOU can determine how to firmly guide students through the

process – an excellent place for mini-lessons.• Transition words• Hooks in introductions• Onomatopoeia • Using dialogue effectively

Revising & the Lesson Cycle

What might be a good independent practice or lesson assessment for a revising mini-lesson?

Peer Review Checklist

-How can I strengthen my opening to involve the reader?-What details can I add to help explain what I’m trying to say?-Which paragraph stands out from the rest?-What research do I still need to do? Where do I not have enough evidence?What would be a more appropriate ending?

Proofreading & Editing

• Students refine their work to make it appear more professional, following standards of grammar, etc.

• Focus on mechanics.• Generally, these changes are “small” and do not require

drastic rewrites of the whole paper.

How? • Mini-lessons on mechanics• Introduce models or mentors for particular

types of sentences• Peer Editing: Analog & Digital Clocking

Analog & Digital Clocking

1. Capitalization ______2. End punctuation

______3. Dialogue – correct use of apostrophes ______4. Dialogue – start new paragraph every time

______5. It’s vs. its

______6. They’re, their, there ______7. You’re vs. your ______

Publishing & Presentation• Allows students to share their best work with others• Brainstorm some examples!

Why? What are the benefits of providing opportunities for presentation?

Tracking the Writing Process

Closing

• Formal writing process needs to be explicitly taught and modeled by the teacher.

• Questions or Resources?angelica.leveroni@gmail.comhttp://tulsasecondarylit.wikispaces.com