PLANNING STRATEGIES: AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT IN COMPOSITION WRITINGIN ENGLISH AMONG PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL LEARNERS IN KENYA

  ABSTRACT: The purpose of the study was to determine how learners in public secondary schools in Kenya, use planning strategies in English composition writing. Based on „the Cognitive Process Theory of Writing‟ by Flower and Hayes,the study specifically assessed learners` awareness and use of recommended planning strategies associated with quality composition writing. Planning is a cognitive writing process that has been empirically proved to be associated with quality composition writing, and hence one of the most effective composition writing skills. Therefore, it is important for learners to be equipped with planning strategies to enable them write quality compositions in English. This will alleviate the problem of learners` writing difficulties that leads to poor performance in composition writing at national examinations in secondary schools in Kenya