When completing writing assignments for all classes, students use the steps of the writing process:

PREWRITING: This involves deciding on a topic, collecting one's thoughts, gathering data, organizing ideas mentally or on paper, and perhaps rehearsing in one's mind or in writing some of the things that will be said.

DRAFTING: This is actually putting words, sentences, and paragraphs down on paper. The word drafting necessarily implies something unfinished or unpolished, for a piece of writing may go through many drafts before it reaches its final form. During drafting, the emphasis is on fluency and getting ideas onto paper.

REVISING: Revision literally means "to see again." As a writer reads what has been written with the eyes of a reader, she or he can look for meaning and clarity. The writer may add, delete, or rearrange information at this point. During revision, it may also be helpful to have another person read the work and share his or her impressions.

EDITING: The distinction between revising and editing is important. When revising, the focus is on content or meaning. When editing, the
focus is on form, on things such as spelling, punctuation, grammatical conventions, and finding just the right word.

POSTWRITING: Sometimes this is called publishing, in the sense that when a piece of writing is finished, it is often "made public." For most student writing, this means handing it in to the teacher. There are other audiences and venues for student writing, however, including classmates, parents, students in other classes or grades, and school publications. Students often find opportunities to share their writing outside the school community as well. They may write letters to authors, politicians, newspapers, or students in another school. Local businesses, professionals, civic organizations, and community agencies may agree to sponsor student writing projects and respond to the final products.