Editing Workshop
Learn
Good writers always edit their work. Editing means looking at your writing to make it better. When you edit, check for:
- Capital letters - Start sentences and names with capitals
- Punctuation - End sentences with . ! or ?
- Spelling - Are words spelled correctly?
- Complete sentences - Does each sentence make sense?
- Staying on topic - Do all sentences fit the main idea?
Editing Checklist:
Use this checklist every time you edit:
- Read your paragraph out loud
- Check capitals at the start of each sentence
- Check for periods, question marks, or exclamation points
- Look for spelling mistakes
- Make sure every sentence is about the topic
Revision vs. Editing
Revision means making your writing better by adding details or changing ideas.
Editing means fixing mistakes like spelling and punctuation.
Good writers do both!
Examples
Look at this paragraph that needs editing:
Before Editing:
"my dog max is fun he likes to run in the yard max chases squirrels max is brown. i like pizza He is my best friend"
Problems to fix:
- "my" should be "My" (capital at start)
- "max" should be "Max" (name needs capital)
- Missing periods after "fun" and "yard"
- "i" should be "I" (always capitalize I)
- "i like pizza" does not belong (off topic)
After Editing:
"My dog Max is fun. He likes to run in the yard. Max chases squirrels. Max is brown. He is my best friend."
Another Example
Before:
"i love to read books are fun. my favrit book is about a cat the cat goes on a adventur. Books take me to new plases"
After:
"I love to read. Books are fun. My favorite book is about a cat. The cat goes on an adventure. Books take me to new places."
What we fixed: capitals, periods, spelling (favrit to favorite, adventur to adventure, plases to places), and "a adventure" to "an adventure"
Practice
Edit these paragraphs. Find and fix the mistakes!
Practice 1: Fix the Capitals
"my friend sara is nice. she shares her crayons. sara and i play at recess. she is a good friend."
Task: Rewrite this paragraph with correct capital letters.
Practice 2: Add Punctuation
"I have a pet fish His name is Bubbles He swims around all day I feed him every morning Bubbles is fun to watch"
Task: Rewrite this paragraph with periods at the end of each sentence.
Practice 3: Fix the Spelling
"The bech is fun. I like to bild sand castles. The waves are big. I can swin in the water. The bech is my favorite place."
Task: Find and fix the 4 spelling mistakes.
Practice 4: Remove the Off-Topic Sentence
"Apples are a yummy fruit. They can be red, green, or yellow. I have a blue backpack. Apples are crunchy and sweet. I like to eat apples for a snack."
Task: Which sentence does not belong? Rewrite the paragraph without it.
Practice 5: Complete Editing
"i like math math is fun we learn to add numbrs. we also lern to subtract. math helps me count my toys"
Task: Fix all the mistakes (capitals, punctuation, and spelling).
Practice 6: Make It Better
"The park is fun. I like it. It is nice. The park is good."
Task: This paragraph is boring because the sentences are too simple. Rewrite it with better details.
Practice 7: Fix This Paragraph
"spring is here the flowers bloom birds sing songs. i like spring it is warm outside i can play in the yard spring is grate"
Task: Rewrite with correct capitals, punctuation, and spelling.
Practice 8: Edit for Topic
"My mom is great. She cooks yummy food. My dad works at an office. She helps me with homework. Mom gives the best hugs. I love my mom."
Task: Which sentence does not fit? Rewrite the paragraph correctly.
Practice 9: Full Edit
"cats are gret pets they are soft and fufy. cats like to play with string my cat sleeps alot cats are fun to have"
Task: Edit this paragraph for capitals, periods, and spelling. Write the corrected version.
Practice 10: Edit Your Own Work
Task: Look at a paragraph you wrote in the last lesson. Use the editing checklist to check your work:
- Do all sentences start with capitals?
- Does each sentence end with punctuation?
- Are all words spelled correctly?
- Do all sentences stay on topic?
Make any changes needed.
Practice 11: Peer Editing
Task: Trade paragraphs with a partner or family member. Edit their paragraph using the checklist. Tell them:
- One thing they did well
- One thing they could fix
Practice 12: Before and After
Task: Write a short paragraph about your favorite game. Then edit it using everything you learned. Show your "before" and "after" versions.
Check Your Understanding
Answer these questions:
- What is editing?
- What are three things you check when editing?
- Why should you read your writing out loud?
- How can you tell if a sentence does not belong in a paragraph?
Next Steps
- Always edit your writing before you share it
- Keep the editing checklist nearby when you write
- Ask someone to read your writing and give you feedback
- Move on to the Unit Checkpoint to show what you have learned