Pathways to Literacy 12 Essential Writing StrategiesP

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Setting a Purpose

Setting a purpose guides the writer.

Why am I writing this? Is my topic narrow enough? What writing format will I use? How will I organize my writing? What style will I use?

Creating IdeasCreating ideas is thinking about possibilities for writing.

Is my topic narrow and manageable? Are my details accurate? Are my details original? Have I considered my audience?

Activating Prior Knowledge

Activating prior knowledge involves thinking about what we already know about the topic.

Am I writing about what interests me? What do I already know about this topic? Is my background knowledge adequate or do I need to find out more?

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Developing Ideas

Developing ideas is drafting a clear message.

Does it make sense? Is my message clear and coherent? Did I demonstrate understanding of the topic? Was I concise? Did I elaborate when needed?

OrganizingOrganizing is developing an appropriate structure for the writing.

Does my writing follow a logical order? Do I have a strong lead, body and conclusion? Does my writing have clear direction that will not lose the reader?

Choosing Effective Words

Choosing effective words is the selection of rich, precise language.

Are my words appropriate for audience and purpose? Does my writing paint a picture with vivid verbs and concise nouns? Have I eliminated unnecessary words, phrases, and sentences?

Expressing Voice

Voice means leaving the fingerprint of the writer on the page.

Does this writing sound like me? Does my writing have strength and conviction? Is there personality in my writing? Does my writing leave an impression with the reader?

Crafting Sentence Fluency

Sentence fluency is the rhythm and flow of writing.

Do I like how my writing sounds when it is read aloud? Is my writing smooth or choppy? Have I varied the types and lengths of my sentences?

Conferencing

Writing conferences are short, informal conversations about student writing that provide guidance through descriptive feedback.

Does this make sense? How can I make it better? What is going well in my writing? What do I want to work on?

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Attending to Conventions

Attending to conventions includes editing the text and preparing it for the reader.

Do I have correct spelling? Does the punctuation guide the reader through the text? Did I use capitalization correctly? Did I use correct language? Did I use the format correctly?

Polishing and Presenting

Presentation is the polished look of writing when it is ready to share.

Is it easy to read?Is it legible? Who is my audience? How does it look?

ReflectingConference

Students reflect about the writing process and themselves as writers.

What did I learn from this piece of writing? What do I feel most proud about? What would I improve? What improvements do I see from my last piece? What inspired me to choose this topic/genre?

Jan. 5, 2009