The process approach to writing

1. DEVELOPING
WRITING
SKILLS:
THE PROCESS
APPROACH
M. S. Xavier Pradheep Singh
Email:
pradheepxing@gmail.com

2. Writing
• Writing can be thought of as thinking
made visible.
• A process which involves several
identifiable steps.
• Writing is a complex cognitive behavior
and a nonlinear process of discovery

3. Writing Process
• Writing process refers to a broad range of
strategies that include pre-writing
activities, such as defining audience, using a
variety of resources, planning the writing,
as well as drafting and revising. These
activities, collectively referred to as process-
oriented instruction, approach writing as
problem-solving.

4. Writing
• emphasis on end product
• Individual
• one draft
• Structure as the starting point
Product
Approach
• emphasis on creative process
• Collaborative
• more than one draft
• ideas as starting point
Process
Approach

5. The Writing Process
1
Prewriting
2
Drafting
3
Reviewing
4
Editing
5
Proofreading
6
Sharing

6. 1. Prewriting
• Topic
– Narrow your topic down to a specific angle.
– Research and analyze information sources.
• Audience
• My students / colleagues / parents / any other?
• Do they have any background knowledge of
my topic?

7. 1. Prewriting
• Purpose
• To provide information?
• To persuade?
• To find out information?
• To tell a story?
• Format
• Am I writing a letter, creating a book or
PowerPoint, an essay
• What graphic organizer will I use?

8. 1. Prewriting
• Brainstorm ideas on a piece of paper using
mind-mapping.
• Organize your preliminary arguments into
an outline following a logical order that
would suit the general essay structure of
opening, body, and ending.
• Put ideas in sub-groups that will later
develop into paragraphs.

10. 2. Drafting
• Focus on content and structure only and
forget about language and mechanical
aspects such as grammar, spelling, and
punctuation.
• Write freely and try to find the best way to
communicate your ideas.

11. 2. Drafting
• Remember the Structure of your writing:
– The opening paragraph (introduction)
• Presents the text’s topic.
• Begins with a challenging question, a quotation, an illustrative
story, a description or present interesting facts.
– The body (discussion)
• Presents one idea per paragraph
• Begins with a topic sentence
• Provides enough examples, explanations, facts, opinions, and
quotes.
• Uses connecting words (conjunctions and discourse markers)
– The ending (conclusion)
• Presents summative remarks and repeat the text’s key idea in other
words.
• Finishes with a strong statement

12. 3. Reviewing
• Reread your writing to avoid any mistakes
• Evaluate your content and make sure you
actually wrote what you planned.

13. 3. Reviewing
• Ask yourself:
– Did I actually write on the required topic and used relevant
arguments and examples?
– Is each piece of information relevant to the paragraph?
– Should I delete or move anything in the writing?
– Does each paragraph and sentence logically follow and relate
to what’s written before it?
– Did I use suitable connectors to present the logical relations
between sentences?
– Did I use a variety of sentence types and lengths (from
simple to complex, short and concise to long and elaborate)?
– Did I repeat the same ideas and words?
– Did I use adjectives and adverbs for text enrichment?

14. 4. Editing
• Judge your writing for language and
technicalities rather than content.
• Your sentences should adhere to proper word order
rules, each containing a subject and a predicate.
• Use a variety of verb tenses correctly and
appropriately.
• Use a dictionary or spell checker when not sure
about spelling.
• Use a variety of punctuation marks accurately.
• Edit for text mechanics: capitalization, numbering,
italics, and abbreviations.

15. 5. Proofreading
• Trace out all small mistakes.
• For a second proofread, try and pinpoint
mistakes reading the text backwards.

16. 6. Sharing
• Share it with your audience and look for any
feedback

17. Finally
• The writing process may seem long and
tiresome, but it is a guaranteed path to
success.
• The more you use it, the sooner you will
realize how you couldn’t do without it.

18. Thank You