Peer Review: Improve your writing skills with a fellow learner

Key Elements Of A Peer Review

1Compliments

2Suggestions

3Correction

Step 1: Compliments

1Compliments

The 1st rule of peer reviewing is:

STAY POSITIVE!

Remember, you’re helping to change

someone else’s work and you don’t

want to hurt their feelings.

Step 1: Compliments

1Compliments

Start your peer editing with

compliments! Tell the writer what you

think he or she did well, e.g.

•I really loved your topic sentence.

•I liked when you used the word ____

•My favorite part was _______ because…

•I liked the way you_________…

Step 1: Compliments

1Compliments

Let’s practise:

1. Read the email on the next slide.

2. Record three compliments that

you would tell the author if you

were peer editing this email for

them.

Let’s practice!

Greeting Dear Ianthe!

Opening I am very thankful that you taught my classes last week.

Topic 1 Detail Not having to teach my scheduled classes enabled me to fly home and visit my mother to celebrate her 65th birthsday.

Topic 2 Detail It’s wonderful to have good friends like you, who are always willing to pitch in when we need them most.

Closing I look forward to returning the favour. Thank you, Stephanie

1 Compliments

Step 2: Suggestions

2Suggestions

Making suggestions means

giving the author some specific

ideas about how to make his or

her writing better.

Step 2: Suggestions

Inappropriate Appropriate It didn’t make any sense.

If more details followed this sentence, the story would be more clear.

Your word choice was poor.

I love using a thesaurus when I write; it always gives me fantastic word choices that spice up my writing.

Remember: Stay positive and be specific!

2Suggestions

Step 2: Suggestions

2Suggestions Refer to our checklist to make your

suggestions!

Checklist

2Suggestions Out

line • Subject line

• Opening• Topic 1• Example -

Detail• Topic 2 with

Detail• Closing

Step 2: Suggestions

2Suggestions

Read the email on the next slide

again. Write down three

suggestions that you would give

the author if you were peer

editing this email for them.

Let’s practice!

Greeting Dear Ianthe!

Opening I am very thankful that you taught my classes last week.

Topic 1 Detail Not having to teach my scheduled classes enabled me to fly home and visit my mother to celebrate her 65th birthsday.

Topic 2 Detail It’s wonderful to have good friends like you, who are always willing to pitch in when we need them most.

Closing I look forward to returning the favour. Thank you, Stephanie

2Suggestions

Step 2: Suggestions

2Suggestions

What are your suggestions?

Step 2: Suggestions

2Suggestions What are your suggestions?

Two details are missing.

Let’s practice!

Greeting Dear Ianthe!

Opening I am very thankful that you taught my classes last week.

Topic 1 Detail Not having to teach my scheduled classes enabled me to fly home and visit my mother to celebrate her 65th birthsday. We had a wonderful party and I was glad that I could be there!

Topic 2 Detail It’s wonderful to have good friends like you, who are always willing to pitch in when we need them most. Even though you said it was not a problem to substitute for me, you deserve to know that the favour is truly appreciated.

Closing I look forward to returning the favour. Thank you, Stephanie

2Suggestions

Step 2: Suggestions

2Suggestions Did you write something like this?

“To make it sound more polite,

you might want to add two details

after each topic sentence.”

Step 3: Correction

3Correction

Making corrections means checking

your peer’s paper for:

- Punctuation mistakes

- Spelling mistakes

- Subject-verb agreement mistakes

Checklist for Corrections

3Correction

Grammar and

Mechanics

•Sentences begin with a capital letter.•Sentences have proper punctuation. •Spelling is correct.•There is subject- verb agreement in each sentence.

Let’s practice!

Greeting Dear Ianthe!

Opening I am very thankful that you taught my classes last week.

Topic 1 Detail Not having to teach my scheduled classes enabled me to fly home and visit my mother to celebrate her 65th birthsday.

Topic 2 Detail It’s wonderful to have good friends like you, who are always willing to pitch in when we need them most.

Closing I look forward to returning the favour. Thank you, Stephanie

2Suggestions

Step 3: Correction

3Correction

This is what you could write:

“I only found two little mistakes:

-A comma goes after the greeting,

not an exclamation mark

-No s before d in birthday

Review of Key Elements1. Stay positive – Try to make suggestions

and corrections in a positive way.2. Be specific – Give the author specific

ideas on how to improve his or her writing.

3. Complete all 3 steps – compliments, suggestions and corrections.

ReferencesPages 2-5, 7-10,17, 18, 21 adapted from http

://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/peer-review-30145.html