Brainstorming

In most cases when students are asked to write they experience a mental block. Students who are struggling with writing will definitely find it difficult to begin writing an essay. Writing becomes an overwhelming task and causes students to develop a negative attitude towards writing. In an attempt to help students to put their ideas on paper the teacher can utilize brainstorming techniques in the classroom.  Fleming (2000) state that brainstorming is a method student can use to generate ideas for writing a paper. In the process of brainstorming you should suspend any concerns about staying organized. The goal is to pour your thoughts onto paper without worrying about whether they make sense or how they fit together.

Brainstorming techniques

Mind Map

Write your main topic in the middle of the page. Write the subtopics of your theme around the main topic. Add even more details around your subtopics until everything you know about your subject is on the mind map. Using different colored pens, connect ideas that are related with lines and arrows.

Outline                                                    

Think about each of the sections you’ll need for your paper, including the introduction, main body and conclusion. List the sections you plan to include in the main body of your paper in a logical order. Then fill in all the details you can think of for each section in point form, including the introduction and conclusion. Rearrange the sections and points if necessary. Make a note of where you are missing information. Use this outline brainstorm to guide your writing.

Free writing

Write any ideas that come to mind. There is no need to judge the quality of your work.

Listing

Write down a list of words or phrase on a particular topic.