Inviting Revision

Do you know about the “little books” for student writers by Ralph Fletcher?  I think they are lifesavers for Writing Workshop teachers, at least they were for me.  I loved them because by reading them to my students (for my focus lesson) I learned to “talk like a writer.”

Now I use them in my coaching work in order to give teachers a shoulder to stand on.  Friday, I used How Writers Work:  Finding a Process That Works for You, (wow, Amazon has it on sale for TWO dollars!) to help Mr. Miller’s third graders begin to think about revision:

Learning how to reread your words is a crucial part of the writing process.  The Shelby Foote quote (“When you read, you get the great pleasure of discovering what happened.  When you reread, you get the great pleasure of knowing where the author’s going and seeing how he goes about getting there.”) refers to rereading, but I believe it relates just as much to writing.  You need to spend time rereading your drafts, deciding what works well, what could be better.  That’s a necessary step before you make changes in your text.

I’ll tell you a secret:  Most young writers don’t reread what they have written.  They skip over that all-important step.  Too many times I’ve seen a student write a page or two and immediately raise his hand, motioning me over, asking, “Will you read this?” Or, “Is this good?”

You need to be the world’s greatest expert on your own writing.  And the way you do that is by rereading the words you have written down.  If you learn nothing else about writing this year, learn how to reread your words.

You need to wear two hats:  a writing hat and a reading hat.  Skilled writers alternate the hats they wear — first writing, then rereading, often switching back and forth many times while writing a single piece  . . . In your role as a reader you need to stand back and coolly decide where the writing works well and where it could be strengthened (58 – 9).

After reading this excerpt in the focus lesson, I invited students to reread their work, with a colored pen or pencil in their hands, marking places where their “writing works well and where it could be stronger.”  As students finished this work, some made changes to make their writing stronger, some went to work on another draft.  As expected, some students didn’t find anything that could use more work in their writing and many had no idea how to make changes. 

Today we’ll help these young writers, look at some of the ways to physically revise:

1. Write between the lines or in the margins to add words.
2. Cross out parts that aren’t needed with a single line.
3. Use a sticky note to add needed words.
4. Place a number at the part you would like to add words; then write that number on another sheet of paper along with the words to add.
5. Write a new lead or a new ending in your writer’s notebook.

As a writer, I know there are many, many ways to revise.  As a teacher of young writers, I know it is necessary to break down the complicated process of revision.  By encouraging rereading and then giving students a few options for the physical act of revision, we invite students to step into this sophisticated process.  I’m less concerned with the actual art of revision and more concerned with the process.  I’m expecting students to go through the process of revision now so that in a few months this will lift the level of their work.  I’m also expecting students to gain a clear picture of the difference between revision and editing.  As these things occur, I will know our instruction in the process of revision is successful.