Pre-Writing Considerations In The Writing Workshop

Every piece of writing begins with some degree of pre-writing. There are many starting points to the writing process. Unconscious rehearsal may precede a writing project. The more we write, the broader the range of pre-writing options we tend to call upon when preparing to launch some writing. This ‘rehearsal becomes a conscious action. 

Reading, talking with other writers, listing, webbing, sketching, planning, daydreaming, pondering, decision making- even some preparatory writing, may occur before we actually begin to compose (drafting) in greater detail. 

Pre-writing can look different for each writer. Our pre-writing preferences shine through. Sometimes a number of pre-writing actions may be enacted conjointly depending on the needs of the writer at that time. What strategy to use may change with the writer’s choice of topic or genre. We should not adopt a one size fits all when implementing pre-writing strategies.

It is valuable to consider your own pre-writing strategies when considering how best to support the pre-writing student writers might enlist. In this way you can reflect upon how these various strategies assist you in your writing process and this understanding to help less experienced writer to refine their pre-writing approaches. It is all about thinking, talking, shaping ideas and planning suitable action.

We should never underestimate the power of conversation and discussion in the pre-writing framework. Young writers should be mindfully encouraged to talk about, and play with their potential ideas, especially with peers. They should be encouraged to develop the habit of notetaking as they engage in such activities. That way they emerge from these interactions with tangible possibilities for their writing projects.

Let’s be clear though, pre-writing is not simply ‘brainstorming and it certainly isn’t the entire class using the same graphic organizer at the same time, in the same way.

Brainstorming is about generating as many ideas as possible without making premature judgment as to the eventual worth of those ideas. It involves quantity before considering the quality of those ideas and how they might be applied. So brainstorming is a pre-writing strategy, but it involves two steps –generation of ideas and organization of those same ideas.

A recent study of writing across Australia’s Primary School sector, ‘Writing Practices in Australian Primary Education, Years 1-6 ‘ conducted by Malpique, Valcan, Pasternak & Ledger and published in May 2022 revealed, among a raft of findings, 11% of teachers in Australian schools never use any form of pre-writing. This is an alarming statistic. It suggests the young writers in the care of these teachers are constantly undertaking what is often referred to as ‘cold start writing.’ The notion of - think, before ink is not impacting the classroom practice of these teachers. Student writers in these classrooms are not being mindfully set up to accomplish successful outcomes. An important opportunity to positively influence writing outcomes therefore, goes begging.

Pre-writing is the launching pad for ideas. It’s where the ideas develop wings and hopefully take off.  It has a role to play in every writing classroom. 

Alan j Wright