Where+Do+We+Go+From+Here?

The process approach has elicited opinions that vary from intense opposition to diehard support. Pritchard and Honeycutt suggest that writing and the writing process are best understood as complex phenomena that include very complex strategies and subprocesses which need to be further explored in conjunction with the process model through longitudinal studies. Also, the unanticipated benefits of the process approach, such as better social skills through peer conferencing, need to be explored. Studies are needed about the comparative impact of the process approach to teaching various genres of writing. Because the process approach provided another method of teaching while traditional methods were being challenged, it became widespread before the research could catch up.

**In the meantime, however, Pritchard and Honeycutt give us much to think about in terms of where we go from here and how we can utilize the information they provide in their review of the research in our classrooms and in education in general.**


 * We must strongly consider the amount of teacher direction we offer our students on process. The authors suggest that this can have positive effects on student writing.


 * We should be sure we are teaching our students the steps of the writing process, about different genres, and about the structures needed for providing feedback. Our students need these implicitly taught to offer them chances at learning to work through and with these.


 * We should offer our students opportunities to write for authentic audiences. They should not be writing for us.


 * In the article, Elbow reminds us to always remember that our students do not need to have a clear picture of a final version of a piece of writing before they begin writing.


 * We must allow them to work from draft to draft and let the writing evolve.


 * As teachers, we should be devoting time each week (nearly every day) for our students to work with the writing process.


 * Teachers must celebrate innovations and be comfortable stepping outside of what we have always known if we want to see gains in our students' writing.


 * Our students must internalize the writing process. This is something we must keep in mind and help our students to achieve this.


 * Prewriting should be a part of all of our writing classrooms, every semester, every year.


 * In our classrooms, we must not neglect revision, and we must teach the differences between revision and editing and the benefits of both.


 * We are going to have to work at this process. As the authors tell us, there are no simple prescriptions. If we don't experience the success we want, we must continue trying new methods and strategies.


 * In the future, each of us who has the opportunity to attend the National Writing Project should jump at the opportunity.


 * We must continue to look at the research in writing instruction and always utilize practices grounded in this research.