The Revision Toolbox: Teaching Techniques That Work

by Georgia Heard

Grades K-8 "How can I get my students to revise their writing?" If this is one of your most frequently asked questions, then this is the book for you – a guide to specific strategies you can teach to enable your students to re-see and re-shape their writing on multiple levels, from word choice to organization. Longtime writer and writing teacher Georgia Heard knows firsthand what a daunting task revision can seem to both students and teachers. First, she addresses students' confusion about the differences between editing and revision. She shows you how to reassure your students that revision is not an indicator of bad writing, but an integral part of the writing process. Then Heard provides ready-to-use strategies that take the mystery out of teaching revision and help even the most reluctant writers revise. Using three main Revision Toolboxes–Words, Structure, and Voice–she offers dozens of specific revision tools to inspire students to revisit their work. In addition, Heard Make revision inviting. Make it a part of your students' writing process. Then watch as they fine tune and improve-and the real pleasures of writing and teaching begin.

Genres: Teaching, Writing, Education, Nonfiction, Professional Development

134 pages, Paperback

First published October 8, 2002

About the author

Georgia Heard is the NCTE 2023 Excellence in Poetry for Children Award Winner which honors an American poet for their aggregate work for children. She is the author of many children’s books including her most recent Welcome to the Wonder House, (co-authored with Rebecca Kai Dotlich), My Thoughts Are Clouds: Poems for Mindfulness, and Boom! Bellow! Bleat!: Animal Poems for Two Or More Voices.
She received her M.F.A. in poetry writing from Columbia University. She is a founding member of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project in New York City. Currently, she visits schools in the United States and around the world teaching writing and poetry. She is the author of Heart Maps: Helping Students Create and Craft Authentic Writing and a new edition of Awakening the Heart.
-from georgiaheard.com

Reviews

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great reference for teachers in how to get students over the challenging stumbling block of revising. A very short, easy read with enough strategies to kick start revision lessons.

[Ethan Stallman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book while I was putting together a writing workshop for an educational internship program through my college and only just got around to reading it. Which is a shame, because it is a helpful little book about a crucial but often overlooked step in the writing process. In fact, as I read it, I realized that her ideas on revision fit well into the workshop I had put together and built on the ideas of other authors I had read on the subject. So why only three stars?

Well, to be honest, there just wasn't enough new stuff to blow me away. If I had read this before some of the other books on teaching writing I might have given it an extra star, but it felt too much like an add-on book to say "I loved it." That's not to say there isn't useful stuff in here.

Ms. Heard includes great lists of questions throughout the book that work well to prompt self-reflection. She also has an impressive collection of quotes about writing that she's collected. There are several, in fact, that I plan to use as a focus for my classes so that they can create their own questions about the writing process. Perhaps the most useful tools in this book, though, are the revision checklists at the end of each chapter. Those alone make it worth having a copy on my shelf to reference. Her ideas about using different "revision lenses" when re-reading your work are also great, and can be used as a jumping off point for a later reading lesson on critical lenses.

All in all, it's a decent book and I'm glad I have it. If you struggle to teach revision, it's worth buying. If you already have a strong set of revision lessons and are just looking for something to change it up, maybe just check this one out of the library.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

6/7/11 ** Day 11 Book 13 ** Heard draws on her extensive experience as both a writer and writer-in-residence in many schools to craft this book about revision. The gist of the book is that revision is not something writers engage in at the end of the process, but something they do throughout. While Heard doesn't focus specifically on 6 traits, three chapters do deal with revision for words, structure, and voice, so the book will be useful to those who are follow the 6 traits teaching model.

As I read, I felt as if I was sitting in a classroom talking with Heard. Her voice is down-to-earth and engaging; her ideas are concrete and practical, drawing on examples from kids' writing and children's literature. This book is well worth having as a resource.

6/7/11 ** Well, I finally came back to this book and finished it. I skimmed/read the four chapters that I'd read in January and finished the rest more carefully today.

1/18/2011 ** Picked this up when I heard Georgia Heard speak in Oct. Thought the book would have some good ideas for writing mini-conferences. Started it yesterday and read 3 chapters with another one tonight over dinner.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many great ideas and techniques on effective ways to teach revision. I know this is something that I was lacking in my classroom because I had never been taught. Now, I can empower my students so much with different strategies. I won't be the one revising their paper - they will! And it will be done well and with substantial improvements. I practically highlighted the whole book!

The only think that bothered me was that for the lessons, the author continuously mentions to "ask" students to do this or that. From my experience, we should not "ask" students because they technically have the option to say "no." If you want it done for sure, it needs to be told. It does not change my thought or opinion of the book as a whole - just caught my attention each time.

[Franki Sibberson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first edition of this book in 2002. I loved this one just as much. It was exactly what I needed as I think ahead to the coming year in Writing Workshop. The focus on revision as something bigger than what kids often think it is is powerful. The lesson ideas and conference notes specific to revision strategies are so helpful. And I love the addition of ideas for the CCSS units of study-narrative, informational, persuasive. This is a quick read and really helped me get my head around how to introduce and keep energy around revision this year. I want to revisit Kate Messner's book Real Revision again too as these two work so well together!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Students think they are done when they write the last word on a writing piece. This is a helpful book with easily implemented strategies to get students to take that dreaded step toward revision, not just editing.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical, relevant ideas for teaching revision to students.

[Juliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, organized and practical lessons that really get at the heart of good writing. Love it!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has a great bunch of revision techniques. Very useful for the classroom

[Julie Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the title implies, this book does set off any earth shattering paradigm shifts, but tons of practical support for teaching revision at any level of writing. It is a great toolbox!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really useful in big ideas, strategies and tools for teaching revision and keeping the heart of writing in mind. Thanks for the updated version!

[Debs Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource to help writers see revision as a continuous part of the process of writing.