Moffett "I, You, and It" by Geri Hagler

Four stages of discourse (communication, thinking, interaction): Inner verbalization, which is just my thought processes, either talking to myself in my own head, or talking to myself aloud, or just mentally forming what I am feeling, thinking and plan on saying. I do this more when I am upset and know I need to write out what I need to say so that I don't just randomly spout off. Outer vocalization I think is when you share your idea aloud to another person.  I don't always do that.  I skip from inner verbalization to correspondence, which is writing.  Then for the formal writing stage I reread and edit, rewrite, reread, edit, rewrite and rewrite - what I call 'work it', and then I'm ready to send it or give it to someone or read it. Moffett says (p. 22) that chronological to analogical is very important to teach, that "The student must forsake the given order of time and replace with an order of ideas...summarize drastically the original primary moments of experience" and lastly, "Proper writing assignments can lead the students to good generalization."  For Moffett, structure and order is of utmost importance and that it creates 'proper' writing.  On page 26 Moffett says, "All stages of a developmental sequence are crucial and none can be left out."  I think this means that writing is developed in stages and that there is an order to writing and each stage must be addressed before going to the next.  I don't think we all think in a logical, orderly fashion.  Some of the best books I've read start in the middle or the end of an event and work backwards to the beginning, but maybe he is only talking about process.  Everything we do has some type of order. Moffett uses words such as 'proper' or 'right' and these terms throw me because what is proper or right?  Who makes that determination?  When I think of writing, music, literature, or art, I don't think it can be categorized as proper or right.  The positive thing I can take away from Moffett is that writing should be read aloud in class by students who are not the authority or having a grade attached to it, but just as a sharing thing.  I also agree that "too much writing about reading" is contrived and limiting.  Students need to write what they think, feel or wonder.  Moffett (p. 27)says that "Trial and error best develops judgment and taste" and "Explanations and definitions of good style, technique and rhetoric create more problems than they solve" and students need to "discover their own voice."  For me, most of the article supports teaching writing in a very structured way, but then on the last two pages it sounds different; that we should be allowing students to express themselves without a structure, to encourage exploration and discovering one's own writing style.  Maybe I'm just too stupid to understand this article.  Maybe there isn't really a polarity and it's all in my mind. Like Britton, Moffett says we 'talk' first and then we write. Both of them refer to the writer's voice and that development of writing is done in a system of steps.  Unlike Britton, Moffett thinks all types of writing should be explored, whereas Britton feels that some writing is not developmentally appropriate for certain ages.  These writers are primarily academic and want to talk about the developmental stages of writing. As a teacher I am less concerned with the developmental stages of writing and more concerned with getting children to see writing as a way to express themselves, to reach others, as a release or a way to pass on an important life lesson.  I am more concerned with getting my students to write in a clear, simple, concise way that has breadth, depth, thought, feelings and their own voice.
 Is it necessary for me to understand the developmental stages children go through to be able to write, when they are eager and ready to write and have already been writing for years before I get them?  How will understanding those stages help me be a better writing teacher?