Use a reading-as-the-reader activity in which writers re-read text from the reader's perspective before revising¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 2 claims (2 for) · 1 study (1 causal), q3 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description¶

A specific implementable activity in which young writers take the reader's role — reading their own or similar descriptive text as a reader would — before revising or drafting. The article found that "Both the 9th and the 5th graders showed consistent significant improvement under the 'reading-as-the-reader' condition, both when revising their essays and when drafting anew." It can be applied both to revision of existing essays and to fresh drafting.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Descriptive writing tasks with an identifiable reader whose informational needs the text must meet

Constraints¶

• Studied with US students in grades 5 and 9 on descriptive essays

Target Learners¶

• Upper elementary students
• High school students

Target Learning Goals¶

• Revision of descriptive writing
• Perspective-taking for audience awareness

Claims¶

• Duplicating readers' experiences helps young writers revise descriptive writing to meet readers' informational needs [+W]
• Reading-as-the-reader perspective-taking improves young writers' revision and new drafting of descriptive essays in both 5th and 9th grade [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Three-Tiered Writing Conferences
• Writing For Real Audiences

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Holliway, D.R., McCutchen, D. (2004). Audience Perspective in Young Writers' Composing and Revising. In: Allal, L., Chanquoy, L., Largy, P. (eds) Revision Cognitive and Instructional Processes. Studies in Writing, vol 13. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1048-1_6