How to Edit 5th Grade Writing Samples

Fifth graders should know the fundamentals of writing and be able to apply them creatively and expositorily.

At the fifth grade level, students should be learning a variety of skills in writing. On a functional level, they should be learning about the purpose and induction of the use of introductions, conclusions, body paragraphs, and proper grammar and sentence structure. In a creative writing sense, fifth graders ought to be learning about plot development, resolution, imagery and descriptive writing. As they learn to create these kinds of writing, they should be simultaneously learning about how to edit their own writing and make it better. This is something that should be modeled by their teacher.

Instructions

1. Use a red pen to underline and write in the margins of your students' papers. A fifth grader should be writing by hand, in pencil. Your use of a bright color will allow your corrections to stand out to your students.

2. Develop a system on how to address each problem in a students' work. For instance, if a word is spelled wrong, circle it. If the grammar is incorrect, underline. If the punctuation is flawed, give an example of correct punctuation. Students will catch on to this pattern and begin to recognize mistakes for themselves.

3. Write an end of the page note to your students, clearly outlining the main areas in which they can use improvement and also noting the areas in which they do well. Positive affirmation will help a student in wanting to correct their errors and do better overall.

4. Devote a certain amount of class time to going over each paper with students that did poorly on the assignment. This personal interaction in showing them the edits on their assignment will give them the clarity they need to correct grave mistakes.

References

• Great Schools: Your Fifth-Grader and Writing