{"id":23502,"date":"2024-08-29T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-29T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog-stage.cms-dev.nwea.org\/?p=23502"},"modified":"2024-08-27T14:11:12","modified_gmt":"2024-08-27T21:11:12","slug":"5-reasons-to-give-students-feedback-on-their-writing-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nwea.org\/blog\/2024\/5-reasons-to-give-students-feedback-on-their-writing-process\/","title":{"rendered":"5 reasons to give students feedback on their writing process"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Have you ever taken a piece of writing on your computer and dropped it wholesale into the recycle bin? Ever crumpled up a piece of paper full of writing and shot it at a trash can, hoping to make a basket? There\u2019s something universally cathartic about being able to start over again\u2014from scratch\u2014with writing. Perhaps it\u2019s because we learn something new as we write. And though our early failed efforts can be painful, they do point us in a new direction and get us closer to what we really want to say with our writing. When you give students feedback on their writing process, you can help them do just that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writing is a recursive process, not a linear one<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Research shows that this idea of starting over with writing has merit. Writing is a recursive process, not a linear one. The recursive model was first proposed by Linda Flower and John Hayes<\/a> in 1981, replacing the previous linear model I was taught in school, which involved outlining, completing a first draft, editing, completing a second draft, and so on, all in the same order each time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the recursive model, writers constantly move between cognitive processes, such as planning (setting goals, generating ideas, organizing ideas), drafting (putting a writing plan into action), and reviewing (evaluating, editing, revising). Writers move fluidly between these processes to accomplish specific, self-generated goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writers change their goals based on what they learn through the act of writing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to Flower and Hayes, writing goals change, and they are generated in one of two ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. The writer establishes high-level goals and supporting sub-goals based on their purpose for writing.<\/strong>These goals are often set before writing begins. For example, a high-level goal for a student in elementary school might be, \u201cI want to tell my school principal about how moving more during the day is good for us, so I can ask for PE class every day instead of every other day.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The writer changes their writing goal, or creates a new goal, based on what they learn through the act of writing. <\/strong>For the same student, the evolution of their goal might look like this: \u201cMy research says that students need 60 minutes of physical activity a day, so my plan for PE class every day isn\u2019t enough. I need to get creative. How can students move more throughout the day? If I start my letter with these ideas, I\u2019ll really get my principal\u2019s attention.\u201d (Cue shot of crumpled-up piece of paper landing in trash can.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Often, those tossed-out efforts are proof positive that we\u2019re engaged in the writing process and, more importantly, learning from it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Students and their teachers may learn more from feedback on the writing process than on the written product<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Flower and Hayes also suggest that educators should give students feedback on their writing process\u2014not just the written product\u2014when they give students input. This is because it can provide more useful information for students and teachers than focusing on the written product alone. Here are five reasons why:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Proficient writing is closely linked to a writer\u2019s ability to self-regulate<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Self-regulation is the ability to manage your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to achieve your goals. In writing, self-regulation involves managing your environment, behaviors, and personal thoughts to effectively plan, draft, and review your work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Educational psychologists describe these fundamental forms of self-regulation in writing<\/a> as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n