From Draft to Perfection

 

Editing is an important part of writing and teachers often feel tired correcting many student papers.

A good solution for this is to teach students how to edit their own writing.

Editing means the writer steps back, reads what they wrote, and checks:

• Content (ideas, organization)

• Form (grammar, punctuation, paragraphs)

Editing is more than just fixing spelling. It also includes:

• Changing ideas

• Rewriting sentences

• Doing a final check before sharing the writing

Not every piece of writing needs full editing. Students who write daily can choose certain pieces to edit carefully.

There are three (3) types of editing:

1. Self Editing:

Students read their own writing and ask themselves:

• Are my ideas clear?

• Are they in order?

• Does it flow smoothly?

• Are my sentences varied?

• Are spelling and punctuation correct?

• Did I use paragraphs properly?

They may cross out words, rewrite sentences, and fix mistakes.

2. Peer editing:

Students read each other’s work in pairs or small groups.

They talk about:

• What is good in the writing

• What needs improvement

3. Teacher-student editing:

The teacher works with students in two ways:

1. Whole-class editing - using sample writings, the class discusses strengths and weaknesses together.

2. One-on-one conferences - the teacher meets individual students to explain corrections and help them improve.

This reduces the teacher’s workload because students learn to fix their own writing.

When students learn to edit, they become better writers and their teachers have fewer papers to correct.