Free Posters to Track Student Progress During the Writing Process

Purpose: Effective writing instruction includes teaching students how to plan, revise and edit their writing. Students work through these steps at different rates. These printable posters both remind students of the steps and help track where each student is in the process.

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes, depending on the size of the class.

Materials: Writing Process Posters (see link below), a permanent marker, one clothes pin for each student, tape, and some ribbon or string.

Prep:

1. Print the writing process posters linked below. They are a PowerPoint file. Print them as full page slides. You may wish to place each one in a sheet protector, laminate them and/or print them on card stock.
2. Write each student’s name on a clothes pin.
3. Use the tape to attach the posters vertically to the ribbon or string.
4. Hang up the posters in a visible place in the classroom. Clip the students’ names onto step one of the writing process.

Procedure:

1. Introduce the class to the writing process by asking students what they do when they need to write something important. What do they do before they write? What do they do after they write some ideas?
2. Share with students their writing topic. You may wish to do so by reading a model text or two.
3. Read the first writing process poster aloud as a class.
4. Model for students the brainstorming activity the class will use, such as a mind map.
5. As students complete the brainstorming activity, invite them to move their pins to the next step in the process: drafting. When they return to their seats elicit from them what they should do next (write sentences, as it states on the poster).
6. Continue monitoring student progress with the writing task and telling students when they can move their pins to the next step.

Variations: The posters may be edited to suit the needs of any writing assignment or the language levels of the students.