Pre-writing is the first step in the writing process and is designed to get your thoughts on paper and to organize your ideas to make writing the paper easier. Despite its importance, pre-writing is an often over-looked part of the writing process. Many students are eager to jump right into the essay drafting process to save time, but is this a good idea? Skipping pre-writing often makes the drafting process longer and can end in lower quality essay. However, not every pre-writing method is helpful to all students. There are several pre-writing strategies, including outlining, mind mapping, journalist’s questions, essay charting, and freewriting. Whether you are an educator or a student, read on to learn how to apply these effective pre-writing strategies to your essay writing toolbelt.
How Do I Pick a Pre-writing Strategy?
The learning preferences that will be discussed in this blog post are the VARK preferences: visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic. Learning preferences are not the only thing to consider when it comes to picking a pre-writing method, however. If you or your student is struggling with a particular part of pre-writing or drafting, picking a strategy suited to your needs will help you write a better paper. Remember, if one of these methods isn’t working, you can always try something else! It’s important to encourage different ways of thinking in the classroom.
If you’re an educator, understanding alternative pre-writing methods can help you differentiate your instruction to all learning preferences and types. It is vital to allow your students to try new things that help them succeed! If you’re a student, trying out different writing styles can help you tailor your strategy to your own personal strengths and weaknesses.
1. Outlining
Bonus tip: Don’t put too much emphasis on following a particular format; focus instead on the results!
Outlining is likely the most familiar strategy. An outline is the most clear, direct way for an essay to move from the pre-writing to the drafting stage. It is often set up in a traditional Roman numeral format, but organizing by paragraph and using bullet points can be just as effective. This pre-writing strategy mimics the composition of the final essay and let’s the writer see exactly what the final product will look like.
Is Outlining Right for Me?
The outlining method’s most important advantage is that it leaves very little room for ambiguity. An outline guides the writer through every line of the essay, from the initial hook to the closing statements. Learners of the reading/writing variety will typically find this method easy to use and understand. If you or your student struggles with making connections between topic sentences and transitions, an outline might be the perfect pre-writing method!
2. Mind Mapping
Bonus tip: Adding color with highlighters or colored ink can help add organization.
Mind mapping is another common pre-writing method that is especially effective for visual learners. A mind map, sometimes known as clustering, is a chart that is centered around the main topic with different branches for each paragraph. Each branch is a “bubble” that contains information that will be included in each paragraph. This can make it easy to add new points and re-organize information without worrying about following a rigid structure. You can also add additional branches to each “bubble” or cluster to delve even further into the topics you’re exploring.
Is Mind Mapping Right for Me?
This pre-writing method has its own unique set of advantages: not only is it visual, but it allows the writer to focus on the content instead of the essay itself. If you have a lot to say about the subject you’re writing about, a mind map can help you get all those thoughts down on paper quickly.
3. Journalist’s Questions
Bonus tip: Journalist’s questions are especially effective for informative writing.
The six journalist’s questions are: who, what, when, where, why, and how. Asking the six journalist’s questions can help contextualize the essay and help the writer focus on what’s most important. It re-frames the traditional structure of the essay writing process. Answering these questions not only assist with conceptualizing the information being discussed, but it can help look at them in a unique way.
Is the Journalist’s Questions Method Right for Me?
Students that struggle with grasping abstract concepts can benefit from using the journalist’s questions method. Sometimes more traditional pre-writing methods can be difficult and looking at things from a different way can be helpful. For example, if a student has to write an informative essay, they may feel overwhelmed by how to organize information. Alternatively, they may find they know very little about the topic and answering more specific questions helps them understand their knowledge deficits.
For this reason, using the journalist’s questions method is a wonderful resource for kinesthetic learners. While kinesthetic learning is typically associated with movement, these learners are also suited to learning through critical thinking. Just as these students learn from taking things apart with hands-on learning, this new approach to taking apart concepts in their minds can be very helpful. I have used this method when tutoring children with mild learning disabilities and it has proved effective.
4. Essay Charting
Bonus tip: An essay chart can also be used to “check your work” before turning in the final essay.
Essay charting is very similar to outlining. Instead of focusing point-by-point, essay charting allows the goal to be constructing the paper paragraph by paragraph. An essay chart is a graphic organizer that lets you break down the final essay in a visual way.
Is Essay Charting Right for Me?
If you or your students are struggling with the basic structure of an essay or would simply rather save some details for the drafting process, this is an excellent pre-writing strategy. An essay chart is also especially helpful for visual learners.
5. Freewriting
Bonus tip: Use a timer! Have you or your students write for five minutes without a break.
When it comes to structure, sometimes less is more! Freewriting can help you get ideas on paper without worrying about “right” or “wrong” ways. It’s also the most simple; simply pick up a pencil and write down everything that comes to mind about the topic. Instead of focusing on the format or that everything you write down will be included in the final product, freewriting allows the writer to let their creativity be the focus. There is no need to worry about grammar, capitalization, or punctuation: just get your thoughts on paper.
Is Freewriting Right for Me?
As a tutor, I’ve seen many students struggle with more traditional forms of pre-writing because they’re intimidating. Even as an experienced writer, it can be hard to shut down your inner critic. Using the freewriting method is an easy way to combat that– it is not designed to
Conclusion
Regardless of the strategy you use, pre-writing is a sure way to improve and speed up the writing process! If you’re looking for templates to use in your classroom, my middle school essay pre-writing worksheets are perfect for the busy educator.
