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  • Sentence Writing

What are the two steps of revising writing?

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Produced by Reading Universe, a partnership of WETA, Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book
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We want to teach students that the revision process actually has two sub-stages to it. First, with a focus on the critical thinking part of what you wanted to say. So, reading your writing to make sure that you set everything you wanted to. Did you meet the goals? Does it flow well? Are your sentences complete? Can you elaborate your sentences? Can you use a transition word or phrase to help get across what you wanted to say? Because that's the most important part of writing, right? Getting across what you want to say. When that's done, then you go in a second time, and this is more what people traditionally think about as proofreading, right? So, that's when you're going to check your spelling, you're going to check your handwriting, your punctuation. Did you miss a word? So I think it's very important to help students recognize that the revision process isn't just one thing you do when you look at your writing.

Reading Universe is made possible by generous support from Jim & Donna Barksdale; the Hastings/Quillin Fund, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (opens in new window); the AFT (opens in new window); the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation (opens in new window); and three anonymous donors.