The document provides guidance on how to effectively provide peer feedback on writing. It explains that peer feedback involves classmates helping to improve each other's writing. There are three key steps to peer feedback: 1) describing what the writing did well in terms of categories like content and organization, 2) providing compliments by pointing out what was liked, and 3) making suggestions for improvement while staying positive and specific. Suggestions could involve areas like word choice, details, organization, sentences, or topic focus. It emphasizes the importance of staying positive and giving specific feedback.

1. Peer Feedback with Perfection! Adapted from Read, Write, Think http://www.readwritethink.org/

2. Peer Feedback is Fun! Working with your classmates to help improve their writing can be lots of fun. But first, you have to learn what it means to “give feedback” and how to do it!

3. What is Peer Feedback? A peer is someone your own age. Giving feedbck means making suggestions, comments, compliments, and changes to writing. Peer editing means working with someone your own age – usually someone in your class – to help improve and revise his or her writing.

4. 3 Steps to Give Peer Feedback There are three important steps to remember when you are giving feedback to a peer Step 1 – Description Step 2 – Compliments Step 3 - Suggestions

5. STEP 1 Description The first step in giving feedback is telling the writer if he/she was able to bear in mind the writing categories, what he/she did well Text Awareness Content and ideas Organization Word Choice Editing Grammar usage

6. STEP 2 Compliments The second rule of giving feedback is to STAY POSITIVE! Remember, you’re helping to change someone else’s work. Think about how you would feel if someone were telling you what needed to be improved in your own writing…

7. STEP 2 Compliments Always start giving feedback with compliments ! Tell the writer what you liked about his/her story I really loved your topic I think you used a lot of good details I liked when you used the word ______ My favorite part was ________ because… This was really fun to read because… I liked the way you_________…

8. STEP 3 Suggestions Making suggestions means giving the author some specific ideas about how to make his or her writing better. Remember – stay positive and be specific! Instead of, “It didn’t make sense,” say, “If you add more details after this sentence, it would be more clear.” Instead of, “Your word choice was boring,” say, “Instead of using the word good , maybe you can use the word exceptional .”

9. STEP 3 Suggestions Here are some areas that you may want to make suggestions about: Try making it with a question Word choice – Did the author choose interesting words? Using details Organization – Can you understand what the author is trying to say? Is it in the correct sequence? Sentences – Are the sentences too long or too short? Topic – Does the author stick to the topic or talk about other things that don’t really fit?

10. Things to Remember when Giving Feedback Stay positive – Try to make suggestions and corrections in a positive way. Be specific – Give the author specific ideas on how to improve his or her writing. Complete all 3 steps – description, compliments, and suggestions. Copyright 2004 IRA/NCTE. All rights reserved. ReadWriteThink materials may be reproduced for educational purposes. Images copyright Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.