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Writing process poster (free printable, five stages)

Five stages in a loop, with a number and a line for each: plan, draft, revise, edit, publish. Rewrite any line for your grade and post it by the writing center.

Printed on the sheet. Leave it empty to write by hand.
Stage | what to do
Colour
The Writing Process, page 1The Writing ProcessWritersgoround1PlanGather ideas2DraftGet it alldown3ReviseAdd andchange ideas4EditFix spellingand punctuation5PublishShare it

To save a PDF, choose Print, then “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheet prints.

About this sheet

Students write better when they know that a first draft is a first draft. The stages of the writing process give a class a shared language for where they are: planning is not drafting, and revising is not editing. This poster lays the five stages in a loop to show that writers return to earlier steps, and each box carries a one-line reminder of what that stage is for. Change the names to match your program, for instance Brainstorm for Plan or Share for Publish, and change the details to a grade-appropriate level. Hang it where the writing happens, and point to the stage students are working in during a conference.

Grades: 1 to 8. Best in: August, September, January.

How to use it

  1. Edit the five stages and their lines, one per line as the stage, a bar, then a short reminder. Change the middle words to suit your grade.
  2. Print and post it beside the writing center, and teach the stages one at a time, with one stage per lesson in the first week.
  3. During a writing conference, ask where the student is on the poster and what they plan to do next. Keep the language the same all year.

Five ideas for class

  1. Give each student a small paper clip or a clothespin to mark their stage on a printed copy of the poster.
  2. Assign a color to each stage and use the same colors on folders, sticky notes and the pencil cups, so students can sort their work.
  3. Teach that revising comes before editing with a short demonstration: add a detail, then fix a comma. Students see why the order matters.
  4. Display a piece of work at each stage on a wall near the poster, so the class can see how a piece grows.
  5. Celebrate publish: read aloud, share on a wall or send home. The goal of the loop is an audience.

Related

Questions

Are there always five stages?

Many programs use five, but some use four or six. Edit the list to match your program, and the loop redraws with the number of boxes you type.

Do students go through the stages in order?

Often not. Real writers move back and forth. The loop shape is meant to suggest that, and you can say it out loud.

Is it suitable for older students?

Yes. Rewrite the detail lines in the language of your course, such as Thesis and outline for Plan and Peer review for Revise.

How do I save it as a PDF?

Choose Print, then pick “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheet prints: the page around it is hidden. You can also save a sheet as a PNG image under the preview.

Can I print it in black and white?

Yes. Switch to Black and white beside the sheet: fills turn white and lines turn black, so it saves ink and photocopies cleanly.

Is what I type saved or sent anywhere?

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