Supporting Writing: Think, Draw, Say, Write, Read

Purpose: When faced with a writing assignment, students, especially English language learners, need time to generate ideas and vocabulary. Guiding students through the following steps will help them create writing that is richer than if they just sat down and started write.  

Preparation Time: None

Materials Needed: None

Procedure:

1. Provide a topic for the writing assignment.
2. Give them 2-3 minutes to sit and THINK about what they are going to write.
3. Next, give them paper and pencil (or pens, markers, crayons, etc) and encourage them to DRAW what they are going to write about.
4. After they have finished their drawings, have them pair up with another student and SAY what their picture represents.
5. Next, have them WRITE their ideas on paper.
6. Finally, have them pair up and READ what they have written to another student, a tutor, etc.