How do we know whether support for editing without becoming overwhelmed is working?

Define the outcome being reviewed

Keep composition and editing as separate stages. Ask the pupil to improve one feature of a short passage, rather than correct every error in a completed page.

Count useful corrections made without an adult pointing to the error. Also note whether the pupil can explain why the change helps the reader.

Compare like with like

Compare what happens when the pupil checks meaning, spelling and punctuation separately. Ask them to show what they think 'edit' means; they may understand it as copying everything again.

Use comparable fresh examples and record the prompts, materials and response format on each occasion. A better score with substantially more adult help is different from greater independent understanding.

Check the teaching and classroom use

Model rereading one sentence aloud, deciding whether it communicates the intended idea and changing one part. Give a narrow checklist that matches what has actually been taught. Preserve the pupil's wording where it works.

For example, agree to check sentence endings in just the first three sentences. The adult demonstrates one, shares the next and lets the pupil check the third.

Use the findings to decide the next step

Compare the starting point with the current picture, including the pupil’s view. Retain what improves access, teach the next insecure step and adapt support that has not helped. Check use in an ordinary lesson as well as a supported practice session.

Further reading