Closer: Reading and Using Editing Marks

Closer: Reading and Using Editing Marks

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After returning student compositions, take some time to review the marks on student papers that they often ignore.

“How many students see ‘R’ on their papers?” the teacher can ask. Quite a few students will probably respond affirmatively. “What does ‘R’ mean?” This will probably send some students digging for the list of editing marks the teacher gave them at the beginning of the term.

After it is established ‘R’ means “run-on,” the teacher can follow up by writing several run-on sentences on the board and discussing why they are run-ons and how to correct them.

This teaches several things: that the marks teachers put on student papers mean something, how to read the editing marks, and how to use them to edit work.