Free+Writing

Free writing is a pre-writing strategy that can be applied to any subject area that requires writing. It involves writing without set rules or boundaries non-stop for a predetermined amount of time. This allows for free association and stream of consciousness writing without the constraints of grammar, writing conventions, or spelling. This is not a way to compose a draft but rather a strategy that allows the writer to identify key concepts or phrases from their stream of consciousness that may be used in their first draft. By setting a time limit, this strategy challenges the writer to keep their writing focused and steady. The times may vary and when first introducing the concept, a free write may only last for thirty seconds. However, more experience with free writing can enable the writer to set a goal of five minutes or more of non-stop writing. Another benefit to the free writing strategy is that it can be used as an anticipation activity through unfocused exploration. It can help students to activate prior knowledge about a subject prior to formal instruction. A writing prompt such as “Write everything you know about World War II” can allow students to jot down what they know or what they think they know about a certain topic. By collecting these free writes, an instructor can identify prior knowledge as well as indentify misconceptions about a certain topic. Though students may need practice, excessive in class free writing can be counter-productive. Instead, the introduction of students to the concept of free writing as a prewriting strategy that they can employ when writing assignments outside of the classroom is the most effective use of this strategy.

Differentiation: Differentiation in free writing is relatively simplistic given that the process is self-regulating. It involves the amount of time one can give themselves to write about a topic.

M.W || Student has trouble concentrating and may have an undiagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder. || Student will be given the activity one minute at a time and then given a break before being asked to continue the free writing exercise. || J.S. || Student has a greater level of prior knowledge of the subject area. || Student will be given a longer time to free write than the other students and ||
 * Student initials || **__ Evidence __** that the student needs differentiated instruction || How will you differentiate instruction **in this lesson** to support student learning? ||
 * Lower
 * Higher

References: Elbow, P. (1989). Toward a phenomenology of freewriting. //Journal of basic writing.// 8(2). Retrieved from: [] Kaye, S. (1989). Writing under pressure: The quick writing process. New York, New York: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from: [|http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=XJUQJcQOZdQC&oi=fnd&pg=PP2&dq=quick+writing&ots=q9UyV-Prop&sig=j1edcuJjZ5Do6_18rQm2r2ww3io#v=onepage&q=quick%20writing&f=false]