Prewriting


 * =Elements of Teacher's Role in Prewriting=

- **Introduce the prewriting assignment** Answer the questions: "What is it?" "Why am I writing?" "What is the purpose of this assignment?"

-**Set expectations** Identify purpose for writing experience as well as provide the desired criteria to challenge and motivate writer.

-**Create an atmosphere of wonder** Encourage the writer with curiosity, aniticipation, and fascination in relation to the student's writing.

-**Identify the audience** Focus the voice of the writing to meet the needs of the potential readership no matter how small, large, or varied it may be.

-**Hook them** Motivate students to write with activities that may narrow their focus, discover an idea for a writing topic, or even further explore their already decided upon topic.

-**Discover what the students Know, Want to know, and Learn (KWL)** Understand the overall knowledge of the students in order to stimulate them to want to learn more.

-**Use brainstorming, listing, and note taking** Students may reveal the elements of KWL through these activities which can help gauge what is most important in future instruction.


 * -Vary assignment strategies** Variation keeps students engaged whether it be through individual or group work. Different strategies can help create more comprehensive writing and provide writers with a different view of their own writing.


 * While these considerations for teachers are good in helping students generate good writing, Chapman and King also provide checklists of other things to consider which really have no place in trying to help students through the writing process itself. These things take on more of a distraction to writing rather than aiding the student writer. These things include more confined and rigid concepts like: assignment length, list of topics, length of time, form of assignment etc.

For some assignments a strong gathering of information and support for the writing is crucial for the content and credibility of the writing itself. This is more of a mimetic approach to writing, as Richard Fulkerson describes it. Although not implicitly stated by Chapmn and King, this research helps place a student's writing into a real world scenario and an ongoing discourse. Chapman and King propose a number of resources for students to draw upon to enhance thier argument including:

-Books -Experiences -Journaling -Articles -Movies -Television -Internet -Observations -Quotations