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9. How should I read student papers?
Because cognitivists are such strong proponents of the writing process, they feel that we should read student papers as works in progress. We should not concentrate solely on the end product.Donald Murray suggests how people who believe in teaching writing as process rather than product should read papers. He says, "Papers are examined to see other choices the writer might make . . . [student] papers are always unfinished, evolving, until the end of the marking period . . . The student writer is not graded on drafts any more than a concert pianist is judged on his practice sessions rather than on his performance" (6).Although we should read student papers as unfinished works, in the end, we do need to take into consideration the final product. Cognitivists believe that we should read these final papers for the clearness and efficiency of the writing, which students can work on in their processes.
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