Illustration by Georgie, Second Grade
In many of my WITS classes, I use a mnemonic called “C.A.R.E.” to help students remember the four basic ways to revise. I explain to the students that all writers think their writing is important, so they must CARE for it.
C=Cross Out ideas, sentences, paragraphs, words using the delete symbol
A=Add images, figurative language, dialogue, thoughts, using the caret, speech, and thought bubbles
R=Rearrange ideas to make sure they are in an order that make sense
E=Exchange “tired” words like big, nice, good, etc. for more vivid words
For younger students, I might focus an entire class period on a specific revisio
n technique, exchanging ‘tired’ words for instance. I model that specific revision technique, letting the students brainstorm and give me suggestions. Then the students are prepared to CARE on their own.
posted by Amy Lin, Writers in the Schools
