We’ve heard a lot about the problems of cognitive overload, but has anyone pinpointed this as a possible reason why children seem to find proof-reading so difficult?
Showing a class how to proof-read in a systematic and orderly way, in manageable daily chunks, with a specific focus in each session, will go a long way towards solving the problem of children being overburdened by having too many things to edit at once.
Classroom posters and children’s editing checklists in Writing For Pleasure schools are tailored to fit neatly into an editor’s system we like to call CUPS. The end result is that children will not only proofread more successfully, but will actually come to internalise the conventions of transcription more quickly and happily.
An example of what a Year Three CUPS checklist can look like.
If you are interested in reading about how to develop a whole-school approach to developing proof-readers, buy our latest eBook:
In No More: My Pupils Can’t Edit, Felicity Ferguson & Ross Young invite schools and teachers to make proof-reading a rigorous and meaningful part of their class writing projects. Despite the fact that expectations for transcriptional accuracy have never been higher, schools and teachers often find it difficult to teach children to proof-read with precision and enthusiasm. This book looks to change that.
This practical guide offers an overview of The Writing For Pleasure Centre’s approach, and provides a progression for proof-reading from the EYFS-KS2. It also contains over 50 exemplar lessons taken from their affiliate schools. These lessons cover the EYFS Framework and National Curriculum objectives efficiently and effectively.
What’s special about this book is the way in which each lesson teaches children the whys of proof-reading procedures and illustrates how, as editors, they can use them for themselves. Children learn to make their writing ‘reader-friendly’ and ‘reader-ready’ prior to publication for real audiences.