Editing skills are important for developing a student’s writing. They help students improve their writing across all subjects. When students learn editing skills, they become more confident in their academics. Editing skills strengthen the reflection of content and ideas.
Teaching students to edit requires constant feedback to help them improve. Feedback on the final paper does not improve their writing or editing skills. Students need effective feedback in the beginning, middle, and end for a well-written paper.
Editing and Differentiation
Editing and correcting don’t have to be the same for all students. Students can focus on a skill that is needed for a particular writing. Reading papers out loud helps students hear their content and errors.
To begin editing, start with the basic skills.
- Look for capital letters of names and the beginning of sentences.
- Organization is important. Check whether the words look correct as written. Check to see that the words are evenly spaced and legible.
- Check punctuation. Use commas, colons, and periods where needed.
- Spelling errors should be checked, especially homophones, homonyms, and synonyms.
Editing is not revising. Be sure the students understand the difference.
Revising vs Editing
Before editing for grammar, spelling, and sentence structure, revision is needed. Revising a written assignment does not mean a ‘redo’. These steps are different. Revision happens before editing. The content of the material should be organized and fluid. Ideas and thoughts need to be coherent. Paragraphs and sentences may need to be redesigned for meaning. Transitions need to be incorporated for a smooth read. After revising written material, editing is needed.
Self-Editing and Peer-Editing
As students learn to self-edit and peer-edit, they become accountable for their work. Teach students to take a break from editing. A break lets the brain process what’s written, thus the mind catches more errors after a break. Students develop effective editing when they focus on each word. Using a tracker helps a student’s eyes stay focused on one word at a time.
With peer-editing, students must learn to be respectful and not offensive to others. Make sure they understand constructive criticism to improve or understand another’s writing. There is no official. guide to providing constructive criticism. Modeling samples of editing is best so that students can understand the process. Also, facilitate peer groups and monitor the process as students work. Use open-ended questions to help students with their editing process.
Teaching students to self-edit their work saves time and serves as a learning opportunity for them to become excellent communicators in writing.
