The PRIMALS Compendium of Teaching Resources

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Literacy Compendium Kit

E NG LISH L E S S O N PL A NS F I LI P I N O LESSO N P LAN S LI T ER AC Y ST R AT EGIES

Writing and Composition

The Writing Process:

Revising Strategies
One goal of the English Revising/Editing is the
curriculum is to develop “Heart of the Writing
learners into practiced, logical, Process.” This guide
clear, and honest writers. In describes some strategies
English, writing is taught as to help learners review and
"process" — that is, thinking, refine their writing.
planning, drafting the text,
then reviewing, discussing,
redrafting, editing, polishing,
and finishing it. It's also
important that students learn
to write "on call" or "on demand."
Learning these skills take time
and practice.

Table of Contents:

Background/Research Base 2
Purpose/Benefits 3
Description/Procedure 3
How Teachers Can Make
the Strategy Work 7
Applications Across
the Curriculum 7
COMPOS ITION
WR ITIN G AN D
 Writing and Composition

The Writing Process:

Revising Strategies

Background / Research Base

"Rewriting is the essence of writing well: it's where the

game is won or lost." —William Zinsser, On Writing Well

The writing process involves teaching students to

write in a variety of genres, encouraging creativity,
and incorporating writing conventions. This process
can be used in all areas of the curriculum and
provides an excellent way to connect instruction with
state or national writing standards. (See Teaching the
Writing Process, in this Compendium).

The writing process—prewriting, the writing process – the means by

drafting, revising and editing, which ideas emerge and evolve and
rewriting, publishing—mirrors the meanings are clarified. (Lehr, 1995).
way proficient writers write. This
write-up describes some strategies Merely requiring students to revise
teachers can use for the third or just to spend more time revising
stage—revising. will not necessarily produce improved
writing (Adams, 1991, in Lehr, 1995).
Students often see revision not Direct teacher intervention, however,
as an opportunity to develop and seems to produce positive results.
improve a piece of writing but as Children in grades 2-6 produced
an indication that they have failed better stories when they revised
to do it right the first time. To in response to teacher questions
them, revision means correction. directed at specific content. In
Revision, however, is the heart of another study, Sommers (1982,

2 The PRIMALS Compendium of Teaching Resources | LITERACY STRATEGY GUIDES

in Lehr, 1995) found that teacher involves circling back and forth between
comments often took students' drafting. Revising differs from editing
attention away from their own and proofreading because it requires
purposes and focused it on those the writer to look at large-scale matters
of the teacher. Sommers suggests in his essay. This distinction is shown
that teachers provide more specific in the graphic in Figure 1 (Defiance
comments and design writing College, 2019).
activities that allow students to
establish purpose in their writing. It Teachers sometimes combine revising
is also recommended that students and editing—and this may confuse
discuss positive rather than negative students. Revision is making it better,
aspects of their writings. Ask them to and editing is making it correct. Some
find bits of their writing—words, lines, editing (cleaning up grammar and
passages—which seem essential, and conventions) might occur during the
then ask them to explore why these revision stage, but as Abler (2016)
sections are so very significant. emphasizes, the revision stage is about
tightening, brightening, and sharpening
Purpose / Benefits the writing.

Revision gives students a chance The questions below help in the revising
to look critically at what they have process, though not all of the questions
written to see: apply to all kinds of writing. In making
checklists and guides for revision,
• if it’s really worth saying, teachers should select those that apply
• if it says what they wanted to say, to the nature of the writing assignment.
and
• Does the writing say what you want it
• if a reader will understand what
to say?
they’re saying.
• Is it what you were asked to do?
• Does it make sense? Is it clear what
Description / Procedure you’re trying to say?
• Is it focused or does it cover many
Revision literally means to “see again,” different ideas and topics?
to look at something from a fresh, • Is there anything you need to add or
critical perspective. It is an ongoing cut out?
process of rethinking the paper:
• Is it well-organized, or do some parts
reconsidering arguments, reviewing seem to be in the wrong place?
evidence, refining purpose, reorganizing
• Is there a strong introduction and
presentation, and reviving stale prose
conclusion?
(The Writing Center, 2019).
• Do the different paragraphs link
together well?
Sommers (1982, in Lehr 1995) sees
• Does each paragraph have a topic
revision as "a process of making
sentence?
changes throughout the writing of a
draft, changes that work to make the • Is the vocabulary strong and precise?
draft congruent with a writer's changing • Does the writing have accurate and
intentions." Thus, it is not a one-stop varied sentences?
stage in the writing process and often • Is it interesting and easy to read? If
not, what would make it better?

Writing and Composition | The Writing Process: Revising Strategies 3

 Figure 1. Differences between revising
and editing (Defiance College, 2019)
• Use anonymous student papers
from other class periods (or past
Revise Vs. Edit years)—ones that have similar
clunkiness or vague generalities
A.R.M.S. C.U.P.S. seen in current papers of
students (e.g., repetition, lack
of descriptive or supportive
sentences, or lack of complex
Add - Capitalize - names, sentence structures). Show these
sentences and places, titles,
words months, etc. through overhead projectors or in
a slide presentation.
Remove - words Usage - nouns and
or sentences verbs are correctly • Revise the example together.
you don't need used Students will share out things to
Move - change Punctuation - add, delete, and rearrange. As
a word or periods, quotes, they share, the teacher can make
placement of a commas, semicolons,
those changes on the slide.
sentence apostrophe, etc.

Substitute - Spelling - check

trade words or all words, look for Using models (those that are
sentences for homophones, use a
new ones dictionary
exemplary and those that need
some repair) help young writers see
and learn what good writing looks
Teaching students how to revise like.
their writing
Strategy 2: Adding Details
During revision, students should
work closely together, discuss Encourage your students to add
models, add details, delete the details to their narrative writing.
unnecessary, and rearrange for
clarity and effect. In this stage peer • For narratives, students can insert
imagery, emotions, dialogue,
interaction is necessary. Students
and voice. Show some models
need to, for example, “rehears”
of dialogue, and ask students
words, phrases, introductions, to find in their own narrations
thesis statements with each other where they explain. Might adding
during this stage. dialogue brighten the story? Tell
them to try it.
Four strategies for teaching • For nonfiction, expository
students how to revise has been writing, students can insert facts,
suggested by Alber (2016): statistics, examples, and quotes
from experts. Use a student essay
Strategy 1: Providing Models example where there is a claim
made without any evidence to
Whatever teachers want students follow. : “Many people didn’t think
to do in their writing, they have to X would make a good president.”
provide models for them. Want Talk about the different kinds of
them to create zippy titles for that evidence they can use to support
the claim and then have them
essay? Show them zippy titles, and
search for evidence: “According
talk about ways they can search
to a poll given to Filipino voters in
for title ideas from within their January 2016, only one out of 10
paragraphs. Filipinos would vote for X.”

4 The PRIMALS Compendium of Teaching Resources | LITERACY STRATEGY GUIDES

Students should do this together narrative), or, for argumentative,
with the same example or model where a writer begins with the
and find a variety of types of devastating results of a policy or
evidence to back the claim (a environmental disaster, then moves
statistic, a quote from a politician, to persuade readers in the rest of
the essay.
etc.). This collectively demonstrates
to them how to do this, allows them 2. Show your students models of
to practice together, and provides an different ways to organize narrative,
opportunity for them to teach each informational, and argumentative
other. essays. You may even wish to
provide scissors and ask them to cut
Strategy 3: Deleting the up a draft and mix around the order
to see how it reads.
Unnecessary

Using checklists and other materials

1. Provide students with a narrative to aid students in revising
or expository essay where there
is some redundancy of a topic or Here are examples of teaching aids
repetition of words. As a group, for the revision process in the writing
decide to combine ideas that
classroom:
are redundant or remove one
altogether. For repetitive words,
• This reflection template (Goalbook,
ask students to look through the
2019) will support students in
thesaurus and choose synonyms
revising their writing. It contains
to consider. Nice is a word
checklists to provide students with
students may use repetitively.
additional support. The worksheet
They delete the three extra uses
allows students to reflect on
of it and replace those with, for
completed drafts and provides
example, pleasant, kind, caring.
space for teacher feedback.
2. Show students another essay, or
two or three, where the writer
• The Tic-Tac-Toe Revision Board
goes off topic. Ask them to find
(2019) is designed to help students
similar places in their own writing
work through the revision process
and make note to remove or
on their own. Students can choose
rewrite those sections.
three revision strategies in a row
to make a tic-tac-toe while they are
Strategy 4: Rearranging for Clarity revising.
and Effect

Would the narrative story be better There are plenty or resources that
if written chronologically? Or should teachers can download from various
the claims and evidence in an essay teaching websites online that can make
follow in an order related to the the teaching of the writing process
most important point, or should you easier and more enjoyable. All you
save the best point and evidence need to do is Google them. There
until the end? are plenty or resources that teachers
can download from various teaching
websites online that can make the
1. Show students text examples teaching of the writing process easier
where the writer begins with the and more enjoyable. All you need to do
end or the middle of the story (for is Google them.

Writing and Composition | The Writing Process: Revising Strategies 5

 Name: _________________________________________________ ate: ______________________________

Revision: Student Draft Cover Sheet with Checklist

Directions: Answer the questions in Part 1, and turn it in with the draft of your paper.

Part 1: Student Reflection

What did you focus on in this draft? What are you proud of? (check one)

Adding details, descriptive words, dialogue, figurative language, or transitions.

Removing any information that is not related to my topic or words and sentences
that don't make sense.

Moving words and sentences to a better order. Moving sentences so that my most
important information stands out.

Substituting boring or repetitive words for new words.

What did you struggle with when writing this draft?

Deciding where to add more details Making my writing more interesting

Writing the beginning or ending Adding evidence, facts or examples
Staying focused on the topic Deciding what to move or take out

What question(s) do you have as you plan your next draft?

One question I have is: _____________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Part 2: Teacher Feedback

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gaal(s) for Next draft

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

REVISION TEMPLATE (Goalbook, 2019)

Explode a Add quality setting

details to paint a Add a SNAPSHOT
moment in your
picture of a place in to your writing.
writing.
the reader's mind.

Tic-Tac-Toe Add a simile or

Add a truism or quote
to your writing. Make
Add transition
words to your

Revision
writing. Make
metaphor to sure what you add
sure sentences
enhance your makes the reader see
Tic-Tac-Toe Revision Board (Naumman, 2019) your personality in begin with a
writing.
your writing of transition
words.

Change 5 verbs Add a THOUGHT

Add a Ba-Da-Bing SHOT to your
to stronger more
Sentence writing
powerful verbs.

6 The PRIMALS Compendium of Teaching Resources | LITERACY STRATEGY GUIDES

How Teachers Can Make The
Strategy Work

To facilitate the revising process, The

Writing Center (2019) gives the following
tips:

• Have students work from a printed

copy; it’s easier on the eyes. Also,
problems that seem invisible on the
screen somehow tend to show up
better on paper.
• Have students read the paper out
loud. That’s one way to see how well
things flow.
• Guide students in using revising
checklist. They do not need to tackle
all the items listed in one draft.
Have them pick a few “agendas” References
for each draft so that they are not
overwhelmed trying to see, all at
Alber, R. (2016). 4 Strategies for teaching students
onece, if they have done everything. how to revise. In Edutopia. Retrieved from
• Encourage students to think about https://www.edutopia.org/blog/4-strategies-
teaching-kids-how-revise-rebecca-alber
how to use peer and teacher
feedback in revising their drafts.
Defiance College (2019). The writing process.
https://library.defiance.edu/writingprocess/
revisingetc
Use of computers. The research on
whether the use of computers for
revision is effective is inconclusive. Goalbook (2019). Revision. Retrieved from https://
goalbookapp.com/toolkit/strategy/revision
Revision, whether done with computers
or with pen and paper, will go beyond
correction only if teachers emphasize Lehr, F. (1995). Revision in the Writing Process. ERIC
Digest. ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading English
the whole text over its parts. When this and Communication. In Reading Rockets.
happens, students discover the power Retrieved February 8, 2019 from http://www.
of writing as a means of shaping ideas readingrockets.org/article/revision-writing-
process
and clarifying meanings rather than as
a way of correcting errors or fulfilling a
Naumann, A. (2019). Tic-Tac-Toe Revision Board.
class requirement (Tone & Winchester,
In Teachers Pay Teachers. https://www.
1988, in The Writing Center, 2019). teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Tic-Tac-
Toe-Revision-Board-258427

Applications Across The The Writing Center (2019). Revising drafts. University
Curriculum of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved
from https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-
tools/revising-drafts/
The writing process is likely not taught
in subjects other than the language
arts. However, some of the strategies
described here may be useful when
students revise written assignments in
the other subjects, for example essays
and research reports

Writing and Composition | The Writing Process: Revising Strategies 7