After teaching students how to edit writing, I couldn’t wait to sit down. My back was aching and my feet were swollen. This was one of the few times I was able to sit at my desk…during the editing phase while my students had their writer’s hat on. Just after I sat down, I heard laughter from across the room. My head quickly turned past the pile of math manipulatives that I still needed to put away and looked toward the giggles.

As my eyes focused on the two students goofing around, I realized they were learning from each other through peer editing. At least one of them finds the story interesting and humorous enough to laugh out loud.

With technology today, it’s hard not to edit during the revision phase. But it’s important to keep the creativity flowing during the revision phase and wait to edit writing during the editing phase. Some activities should be a focal point while students edit their writing to help them stay focused during the editing phase.

To help students with edit writing effectively, here is a list of 7 valuable tips. These strategies aim to improve the clarity, coherence, and overall quality of their written work.

Here are some Beneficial Tips to Help your Students Learn How to Edit Writing

Correct grammatical and spelling errors. Now is the time to make these fixes. Use the proofreading marks to make the changes.
Be direct with your meaning in the ideas and examples. You may need to change or add words or sentences to make it more clear. Even double-check to make sure you are using the correct transition word.
Check your facts when editing writing. It’s always best to double-check your facts during the editing phase. It’s never an option to put out unreliable information.
Have students proofread out loud when they edit their writing. One of the last things a writer should do is proofread out loud. Many errors are missed with the eyes but can be caught through hearing.
Many students enjoy the peer editing phase because they get to interact with each other. You can have students peer edit to proofread. Struggling students will get additional feedback from the peer’s perspective while excelling students can share their ideas and structure with other students. When students edit writing, it is important to encourage them to explore other students’ papers to gain exposure to different writing styles.
Have students use whisper phones (from Amazon) when editing their writing. Another option is to offer whisper phones for students to read their papers out loud quietly or use during peer edits. I purchased these whisper phones from Amazon.
Assigning a title is one of the last things students do when they edit their writing. You can let your students know when they begin the first draft. I like to have my students title the essay last. This is because there are so many times I began writing with something specific in mind and the direction of my essay changed. I ended up with something different than what I started with.

Advise students to check for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors, while also paying attention to sentence structure and word choice. Encourage peer feedback and remind them to make necessary revisions based on the feedback received.

It’s important to let your students explore other students’ papers to see different styles when students edit writing. By using these techniques, students edit writing to enhance their writing skills and produce more refined and polished essays. Now it’s time to write the final draft! Here are some resources to help your students’ peer edit and use proofreading marks in opinion and persuasive essays.