Helping gifted students find their voice is always a goal in school, and providing them the tools to be effective as peer editors can be a good step forward.
Students in middle grades and high school should be asked several times during the year to work with classmates in reviewing and commenting on each other’s work. Here is a procedure for making that happen. First, separate the students into groups of four or five. If possible, try to include a student from a GATE program in each cooperative group. After students have prepared their rough drafts in whatever class you are teaching, have them take a full sheet of paper and divide it with horizontal lines into four equal sections. On the top section put the student's name, the work and author, and briefly state the thesis. For sections two, three and four, write at the top of the section:
Reader # ____’s Comments. Reviewed By ____________________.
Instruct the students: Paper clip this work sheet on top of the rough draft. Remember to number and date each draft. Keep all of your drafts together and attach them to your final graded paper.
Next, say this to the students: Feel free to offer whatever insights you feel may help the writer reach a best piece. You may want to consider major issues such as: logical organization, focus of the thesis, meaning of the paper, supporting materials via cuttings from the piece, appropriate research, and voice and tone. You may also want to narrow your vision) and zero-in on grammar, diction and use of English, spelling, paragraph construction. Peer review comments must be recorded on the review. Please do not write on the original draft!
Take at least one class period to conduct peer editing sessions for each major paper that is assigned. As students work with each other, call each student to your desk to discuss the paper to keep you in the loop.
