writing process TEKS talk image

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Composition: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--writing process. The student uses the writing process recursively to compose multiple texts that are legible and uses appropriate conventions.

Direct students to develop a first draft into a coherent piece of writing, focusing on text structure that includes an introduction, transitions, and a conclusion. Then, evaluate the introduction of student papers. The criterion for assessment may include the specific skills covered in class, such as including a creative hook, creating historical context, or establishing the setting, as well as general criteria such as orienting the reader to the topic of the essay and effectively engaging the reader.

Have students mark different kinds of transitions, such as those showing sequence, adding details, and indicating contrast, in their papers using different colors or markings. This will indicate whether students purposefully selected specific transitions to convey the relationships between ideas.

Assess students’ conclusions to ensure they include the specific skills covered in class such as conveying an emotional lesson, answering the question so what, asking the reader to consider a solution, and creating a sense of closure.
 

Further Explanation

This assessment example requires students to develop a first draft into a coherent, well organized piece of writing. Students should understand how to write an appropriate introduction, how to use transitions correctly so ideas are logically connected, and how to write a conclusion that wraps everything up and leaves the reader satisfied.

the closing of a text or speech that reinforces and summarizes the message
the closing of a text or speech that reinforces and summarizes the message
Once students have planned their rough drafts, the next step in the writing process is to start organizing thoughts into sentences and paragraphs. This initial draft is often messy. Students should not focus on writing in a polished manner during this stage.
As students develop their rough drafts, they bring focus by narrowing their topics and refining their writing. Students write their topic sentences, add relevant details, and determine the most effective way to organize and present ideas in a manner that best reflects their intended purposes. The order and logic of the writing should help the reader follow it.
in a piece of writing, the opening paragraph(s) used by a writer to encourage the audience to read what follows In informational, persuasive and argumentative pieces, it indicates what the paper will be about.
in a piece of writing, the opening paragraph(s) used by a writer to encourage the audience to read what follows In informational, persuasive and argumentative pieces, it indicates what the paper will be about.
Students are expected to determine the best order in which to present the content of their compositions so compositions are easily accessible to the reader. Students should create an introduction that orients the reader to the focus or topic of the composition and/or engages readers, encouraging them to continue reading. Transitions help the reader understand how the ideas in a piece of writing relate to each other. Students should use transitions to add depth and detail to an idea or to introduce a new idea. Students should also consider the intended purpose of their compositions to create an effective conclusion. The conclusion is a student’s last opportunity to impress something upon the reader. This impression could be the importance of a point made in the composition, a feeling they want readers to experience, or a directive they want readers to follow.
the organizational pattern or structure authors use to construct and organize ideas for their audience (e.g., cause and effect, problem and solution, description, order of importance)
a word or phrase purposefully used to help sustain a thought or idea, linking sentences and paragraphs together smoothly so that there are no abrupt jumps or breaks between ideas

Research

1. Davidson, M., & Berninger, V. (2016). Informative, compare and contrast, and persuasive essay composing of fifth and seventh graders: Not all essay writing is the same. Journal of Psychoeducation, 34(4), 311–321.  doi:10.1177/0734282915604977

Summary: Middle schools students write essays in three genres using background knowledge, graphic illustrations to enhance mental images, and oral reading (listening comprehension).  The results of the study suggest that students exhibited considerable difference between the genre, writing quality, organizational skills, and length. The study will provide teachers with an overview of approaches that may support students to write in multiple genres. Importance is placed on assessing genres.

2. Klein, P.D., & Rose, M.A. (2010). Teaching argument and explanation to prepare junior students for writing to learn. Reading Research Quarterly, 45(4), 433–461. doi:10.1598/RRQ.45.4.4

Summary: In this study, Klein and Rose examine how students respond to various writing tasks and assignments. The teachers used the process writing approach, which included creating an outline, drafts, and a final paper. The revision and edit process lends itself to implementing teacher and peer oral and written feedback. The study reveals that there are specific as well as varied means to teach the writing process to students. Students must use prior knowledge and have access to relevant external sources (i.e. internet).

3. Composition Writing Studio. Argumentative Essay/Commentary. University of Purdue’s Online Writing Lab. Retrieved from https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html

Summary: This online resource offers a complete overview of the writing processes and the components involved in each. The overview includes definition of terms, examples, graphs and charts as appropriate, and additional resources.