Editing and Revising

How do you teach your class about editing and revision?  I like to give my class options throughout the school year with editing and revising.  I teach them how to self-regulate by editing/revising on the fly.  Instead of waiting until the final copy is due, students make corrections, deletions, edits and revisions along the way.  The students are making adjustments as the write.  For example, if a student started a narrative, he/she might go back and check for a an eye catching hook, or, a student might monitor sentence variation.  Another student might check for figurative language or adding detail. Somebody else might check for the overall flow of their writing piece. The student decides what needs to be changed but you can always offer assistance and guidance.

Another editing and revising option for the class is to edit/revise when the rough draft is completed. I use ROLES (read out loud, edit and then switch their work with a partner) during this process.  As a class, we look for capitals, organizing, punctuation, flow and spelling in a writing sample. Then, the class practices this strategy with a partner.   Sure, they will miss some errors, but as the year progresses, they will make fewer mistakes.

Using ROLES, in conjunction with editing on the fly, leads to polished pieces that makes students proud.

ROLES Poster Freebie