Revision vs. editing

We need to build a strong wall between revision and editing. Editing is checking for spelling, grammar and mechanical errors. Revising is checking to see if the story makes sense. Students in revision circles should compliment, question and suggest thoughts that help the writer clear up confusion in the writing. Often, students in the circle fall back on pointing out the spelling, editing, and grammar mistakes that they find so much easier to spot.

To entice children to revise, students decide how the writing will be shared. Children (and adults) want to be clear when they know someone will read their writing. The best pieces I’ve seen resulted from crafting for audiences besides me - the teacher.

Secondly, arrange schedules so that children share in writing circles and confer with you. At the end of the year I interviewed a fourth grader who said, “When we were in revision circles, they would ask questions where you had blank spots. Before, I would just write my stories and said, ‘Okay I’m finished with that,' and go to the next one.

"And then one time you came in and said, 'Today we’re going to study revision circles.' I actually read my story to somebody and they actually asked questions like they were curious about it and I was like, 'Why didn’t I put that in there? Why didn’t we think of this before?'”

The stigma of revision changes in kids’ eyes when they see the interest others take in their writing. By getting feedback from peers frequently, writers eventually read with a reviser’s eye. They anticipate questions and try to avoid them by filling in the gaps before they share. They learn to step away from the piece for a time, come back to it, and revise.

Students also need lessons that support the revision circles. In one session, we helped a student discover that his story was out of order. He jumped up and headed back to his desk, eager to make the changes. Then in midstride, he stopped and turned back toward the group. “How do I do that?” he asked.

I just laughed. Here is a nine year old just learning to write. How would he know how to reorganize his writing if I didn’t show him how…several times? (With his permission, I used his writing as a minilesson the next day.)

From the Chicago teachers who wrote Stack The Deck, I learned to teach students four main areas for revision: add, subtract, rearrange and combine. The simplicity of their thinking on such a complex issue has helped me select what to teach. I model how to add details, reorganize the writing, combine information scattered throughout the writing, and hardest of all, take out words, phrase and whole parts. I collect writing - with student permission - and save the pieces in folders for my minilessons.

Let the revision lessons begin! Read on for tips and lesson ideas.

NEXT: Booklets help kids organize

"I actually read my story to somebody and they actually asked questions like they were curious about it and I was like, 'Why didn’t I put that in there? Why didn’t we think of this before?'” – fourth-grade student

A resource for people passionate about helping students write well, compiled by Karen Haag