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Intermediate School District 917

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Stop, Read, Revise

Stop, Read, Revise

What students actually write isn't always the same as what they think they've written. When they take the time to review their writing, they often find that important words are missing or that their ideas aren't as clear as they thought. This routine prepares students to root out mistakes and communicate more effectively by training them to review and revise their writing using a specific set of criteria.

    1. Talk to students about the importance of reading what they write. Help them generate a list of reasons why the reading-after-writing habit is such a good one to develop. 

    2. Give students a writing task. If they are writing by hand, tell them to skip lines so they'll have room to revise their work.

    3. Ask students to read their pieces to themselves. Tell them to check their work for The Seven Cs. 

      • Completeness: Did I leave out any words, details, or big ideas?

      • Coherence: Are my ideas presented in a logical and orderly way? Do they make sense

      • Clarity: Are my ideas clear and easy to understand? Is my writing clear and easy to read?

      • Correctness: Are there any spelling, grammar, and/or factual errors that I need to correct?

      • Composition: Do I have a topic sentence/thesis, supporting information, and conclusion?

      • Congruence: Does my response address the specific question, task, or purpose I was given? 

      • Communication skills: Will my audience "get" what I wrote? Is my tone/language appropriate?

    4. Instruct students to revise their work as needed. 
    5. Invite students to reflect on and share what they learned by reading their own writing.
    6. Teach students that the Stop, Read, Revise process is one that they can and should use on their own. Help them make it habitual by having them use it as often as possible. 

  • Tip: Explain the Cs beforehand, and adjust them as needed for specific kinds of writing tasks. With a  story, for example, composition might become "Do I have a clear beginning, middle, and end?”

This routine has been adapted from Tools for Conquering the Common Core, Silver and Boutz, 2015