Wisconsin FORT (Foundations of Reading) Practice Test

What should students do during the pre-writing stage?

1. Brainstorm ideas, choose a topic, conduct research

2. Choose a topic, consider purpose and form, gather and organize ideas for writing

3. Choose a topic, write a draft, edit for errors

4. Freewrite, outline, revise

The correct answer is: Brainstorm ideas, choose a topic, conduct research

During the pre-writing stage, students should brainstorm ideas, choose a topic, and conduct research. This is essential to generate ideas and gather information before beginning the actual writing process. By brainstorming ideas and selecting a topic, students lay the foundation for their writing piece. Conducting research also allows students to gather relevant information and organize their thoughts before proceeding to the drafting stage. This pre-writing stage sets the groundwork for a structured and well-developed piece of writing. Option B is incorrect as it mentions gathering and organizing ideas for writing but misses out on the crucial step of conducting research. Option C is incorrect as writing a draft typically occurs during the drafting stage and not pre-writing. Option D is incorrect as freewriting, outlining, and revising are all activities that usually come after the pre-writing stage.