Teaching writing is a process that involves more than just asking students to put pen to paper. To help students produce clear, coherent, and effective written texts, it’s essential to break down the writing process into manageable stages. By understanding these stages—and how they connect to writing subskills and features of written language—you can plan and teach writing lessons that set your students up for success. In this lesson, we’ll explore the stages of producing written text, how they relate to writing subskills and features, and how to apply this knowledge in your teaching.

What are the stages of producing
written text?

The writing process typically involves five key stages:

Pre-writing (Planning) stage:

• This is the preparation stage, where students brainstorm ideas, gather information, and organize their thoughts.
• Example: Using a mind map to generate ideas for an essay or creating an outline to structure the text.

Drafting stage:

• In this stage, students write their first version of the text, focusing on getting their ideas down without worrying too much about perfection.
• Example: Writing a rough draft of a story or essay based on the outline created during pre-writing.

Revising stage:

• This stage involves reviewing and improving the content, structure, and clarity of the text. Students may add, delete, or rearrange ideas to make the text more effective.
• Example: Adding more details to a paragraph or reordering sentences to improve the flow.

Editing stage:

• Here, students focus on correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word choice errors. This stage ensures the text is clear and accurate.
• Example: Fixing subject-verb agreement, replacing overused words, or correcting typos.

Publishing/Sharing (Final draft) stage:

• The final stage involves presenting the polished text to an audience, whether it’s submitting an assignment, sharing a story, or publishing a blog post.
• Example: Typing up the final draft of an essay and submitting it to the teacher or sharing it with classmates.

How do writing subskills and features fit into these stages?

Each stage of the writing process relies on specific subskills and features of written language. Here’s how they connect:

Pre-writing stage:

• Subskills: Planning, organizing, brainstorming.
• Features: Identifying purpose and audience, choosing an appropriate genre and tone.
• Example: A student planning a persuasive essay identifies their audience (e.g., school administrators) and purpose (e.g., to argue for longer lunch breaks).

Drafting stage:

• Subskills: Writing fluency, applying grammar and syntax, using appropriate vocabulary.
• Features: Creating a logical structure, using cohesive devices, adapting to the genre.
• Example: A student writes a draft of a narrative story, using descriptive language and linking words to connect events.

Revising stage:

• Subskills: Improving coherence and cohesion, refining ideas, enhancing clarity.
• Features: Ensuring logical flow, using effective transitions, maintaining a consistent tone.
• Example: A student revises an essay by adding topic sentences to each paragraph and using linking words like “however” and “therefore.”

Editing stage:

• Subskills: Correcting grammar, spelling, and punctuation; improving word choice.
• Features: Ensuring accuracy, using formal or informal language as needed, polishing the text.
• Example: A student edits a report by fixing run-on sentences and replacing vague words like “good” with more specific terms like “effective.”

Publishing/Sharing stage:

• Subskills: Final proofreading, formatting, presenting.
• Features: Ensuring the text is polished and ready for the intended audience.
• Example: A student proofreads their final draft, checks the formatting, and submits it to their teacher.

How to use this knowledge in planning and teaching

Understanding the stages of writing—and how they connect to subskills and features—allows you to design lessons that guide students through the entire writing process. Here’s how to apply this knowledge:

Teach the writing process explicitly:

• Introduce students to the stages of writing and explain how each stage contributes to producing a polished text.
• Example: Use a flowchart or diagram to show the steps from pre-writing to publishing.

Provide scaffolding for each stage:

• Offer support and guidance at every stage, especially for beginners. Use templates, checklists, and examples to help students navigate the process.
• Example: Provide a graphic organizer for pre-writing or a checklist for editing.

Focus on subskills and features at each stage:

• Highlight the specific subskills and features that are most relevant to each stage.
• Example: During drafting, focus on fluency and grammar; during revising, focus on coherence and cohesion.

Use model texts:

• Provide examples of well-written texts to show students how subskills and features are applied in practice.
• Example: Analyze a model essay to identify its structure, tone, and use of linking words.

Encourage peer collaboration:

• Use peer review activities to give students feedback on their writing and practice revising and editing.
• Example: Have students exchange drafts and provide feedback using a peer review checklist.

Use real-world tasks:

• Use authentic writing tasks that reflect real-life purposes and audiences.
• Example: Ask students to write a formal letter to a local official or a blog post about a topic they’re passionate about.

Provide opportunities for practice:

• Give students plenty of opportunities to practice each stage of the writing process.
• Example: Assign regular writing tasks that require planning, drafting, revising, and editing.

Practical activities for teaching writing stages

Here are some classroom activities to help students practice each stage of the writing process:

Pre-writing stage:

• Use brainstorming activities like mind maps or lists to generate ideas.
• Example: Students create a mind map for an essay on “The Benefits of Exercise.”

Drafting stage:

• Provide writing prompts and encourage students to write freely without worrying about mistakes.
• Example: Students write a rough draft of a story based on a picture prompt.

Revising stage:

• Use peer review or teacher feedback to help students improve their drafts.
• Example: Students exchange essays and suggest ways to improve coherence and clarity.

Editing stage:

• Provide checklists and practice activities to help students identify and correct errors.
• Example: Students edit a paragraph with intentional errors, such as missing punctuation or incorrect verb tenses.

Publishing/Sharing stage:

• Create opportunities for students to share their final drafts with an audience.
• Example: Students present their essays to the class or publish them on a class blog.

Final thoughts

Teaching writing is a step-by-step process that requires careful planning and support. By breaking down the writing process into stages and connecting them to writing subskills and features, you can help your students develop the skills they need to produce clear, coherent, and effective written texts.

So, the next time you plan a writing lesson, remember to guide your students through each stage of the process and provide plenty of opportunities for practice and feedback. Happy teaching!

To your CELTA journal

Think about your favorite ways to stages of writing to your students.
Reflect on your favorite ways to teach stages of writing. Write in your CELTA journal about your experiences, the strategies you use, and why they are effective. Describe any challenges you have faced, and explain how you addressed them.

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