Peer Edit with Perfection!
Tutorial
Peer Editing is Fun!
Working with your classmates to
help improve their writing can be lots
of fun. But first, you have to learn what
it means to “peer edit” and how to do
it!
What is Peer Editing?
• A peer is someone your own age.
• Editing means making suggestions,
comments, compliments, and changes to
writing.
Peer editing means working with
someone your own age – usually
someone in your class – to help
improve, revise, and edit his or her
writing.
3 Steps to Peer
Editing
There are three important steps to remember
when you are peer editing another student’s
writing.
• Step 1 – Compliments
• Step 2 – Suggestions
• Step 3 - Corrections
STEP 1
Compliments
• The first rule of peer editing is to
STAY POSITIVE!
– Remember, you’re helping to change
someone else’s work. Think about
how you would feel if someone were
telling you what needed to be
improved in your own writing…
STEP 1
Compliments
• Always start your peer editing
with compliments!
– Tell the writer what you think he or
she did well:
• I really loved your topic
• I think you used a lot of good details
• I liked when you used the word ______
• My favorite part was ________ because…
• This was really fun to read because…
• I liked the way you_________…
STEP 1
Compliments
• Read the paragraph on the next
slide. Record three compliments
about the paragraph that you
would tell the author if you were
peer editing this paper.
STEP 1
Compliments
We where all over my aunts house
when my dog Riley was running around
like crazy. He was chasing me around in
circles. all of a suden I look and riley he
was in the pool! swimming in my aunts
pool. I couldn’t believe my eyes that the
dog was in the pool. I dashed to the pool
and jumpd in and swan over to Riley and
pulled him to the steps. He got out and
shook all over us like a sprinkler on a hot
day. I was glad riley was o.k. and that I
saved him.
STEP 2
Suggestions
• Making suggestions means giving the
author some specific ideas about how
to make his or her writing better.
• Remember – stay positive and be specific!
– Instead of, “It didn’t make sense,” say, “If you
add more details after this sentence, it would
be more clear.”
– Instead of, “Your word choice was boring,” say,
“Instead of using the word good, maybe you
can use the word exceptional.”
STEP 2
Suggestions
• Here are some areas that you
may want to make
suggestions about:
– Word choice – Did the author choose interesting
words?
– Using details (for example, seeing, hearing,
touching, tasting, and smelling)
– Organization – Can you understand what the
author is trying to say? Is it in the correct
sequence?
– Sentences – Are the sentences too long or too
short?
– Topic – Does the author stick to the
topic or talk about other things
that don’t really fit?
STEP 2
Suggestions
• Read the paragraph on the next
slide again. Record three
suggestions about the
paragraph that you would tell the
author if you were peer editing
this paper.
STEP 2
Suggestions
We where all over my aunts house
when my dog Riley was running around
like crazy. He was chasing me around
in circles. all of a suden I look and riley
he was in the pool! swimming in my
aunts pool. I couldn’t believe my eyes
that the dog was in the pool. I dashed
to the pool and jumpd in and swan
over to Riley and pulled him to the
steps. He got out and shook all over us
like a sprinkler on a hot day. I was glad
riley was o.k. and that I saved him.
STEP 3
Corrections
• The third step in the peer editing process is
making corrections.
• Corrections means checking your peer’s
paper for:
– Spelling mistakes
– Grammar mistakes
– Missing punctuation
– Incomplete or run-on sentences
STEP 3
Corrections
Read through the paragraph
again on your worksheet. Circle,
underline, or use editing marks to
correct errors in spelling,
punctuation, or grammar.
Things to
Remember…
• Stay positive – Try to make
suggestions and corrections in a
positive way.
• Be specific – Give the author
specific ideas on how to improve his
or her writing.
• Complete all 3 steps –
compliments, suggestions, and
corrections.
Copyright 2004 IRA/NCTE. All rights reserved.
ReadWriteThink materials may be reproduced for educational purposes.
Images copyright Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
