What writing activity is useful for helping students organize their thoughts?

Outlining is a writing activity that effectively helps students organize their thoughts because it provides a structured framework for their ideas. By creating an outline, students can visually arrange their main points and supporting details in a hierarchical manner, which clarifies their thinking and helps in establishing clear relationships between concepts. This organization is particularly beneficial when students are preparing to write essays or reports, as it allows them to see the flow of their arguments and ensures that they cover all necessary points in a logical order.

While mind mapping also aids in organizing thoughts by using a visual format to show relationships, it may not provide the linear structure that some students need for complex writing tasks. Summarizing is focused on condensing information rather than organizing it, and peer narratives encourage collaboration but do not provide individual students with a clear structure for their own thoughts.