ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the pre-writing phase in the classroom, when a writing task is introduced by the teacher, is of importance to the process of formative assessment in two related ways. First, classroom management is made easier for the teacher if from the outset pupils are set clear goals to work towards; in this way many children will be able to monitor and assess their own progress as they write. Secondly, the feedback offered by the teacher once a draft has been completed can be made more effective if discussion is explicitly related to the aims and purposes of the task and to the exemplification provided in the pre-writing phase. Formative assessment represents a more systematic attempt on the teacher's part both to identify strengths and weaknesses in a writer's script and to help the pupil to overcome selected difficulties. Traditionally assessment in schools has always been synonymous with evaluation.
