Middle School Student’s Perspectives of and Responses to Strategic Revision Instruction
Summary
Elizabeth Dinkins realized that revision, thought it is an important element of writing, is often ignored by not only students, but teachers as well. She conducted a study along side a teacher to see if an effective teaching method for revision could be found.
Other studies show that revision is “recognizing a dissonance between what is written and what is meant” and then being able to use your knowledge to make the appropriate changes (76). It is important that students see revision as not just a way to get a final product, but as part of the process. Most students viewed revision as a chore and would often skip it entirely.
Dinkins found that in many classrooms pre-writing was emphasized much more than revising. She found that students had a limited understanding of revision. They focused mainly on “neatness, word replacement, and mechanical error correction” (77).
The teacher chose to teach the CDO-ADM revision strategy. This is a three-step process which includes comparing, diagnosing, and operating.
- Comparing: Read each sentence and ask “Is this what I meant?”
- Diagnosing: Mark sentences that need work.
- Operating: Add, Delete or Move text.
They focused on five eighth grade students who were at different writing levels. The teacher taught the revision strategy using Self-Regulated Strategy Instruction which has six stages:
- Develop Background knowledge
- Discuss the Strategy
- Model the Strategy
- Memorize the Strategy
- Support the Strategy
- Independent Strategy Use
My Connection
I have never done very much revising when it comes to my own writing. I relate a bit to Stephanie because I have always felt that I just revise as I go along. Looking back, though, I can’t remember ever being taught how to revise. I do wonder now if I would be more comfortable revising if I had been taught a strategy like this one early on.
Questions
- Do you relate to any of the five students when it comes to your views of revising? How?
- Do you think a larger focus should be put on revising in schools? Why or why not?
Works Cited
Dinkins, Elizabeth G. “Middle School Students’ Perspectives of and Responses to Strategic Revision Instructions.” Middle Grades Research Journal 9.2 (2014): 75 – 90. Web.
