How to Do a Peer Review I Middle School

Peer reviews are benign to the reviewer and reviewee alike. Students benefit nigh from peer reviews when a few things are set in place.

When one of my teaching friends noticed I was using peer reviews in my classroom, she commented that she never used them.

Why? "It's similar the blind leading the blind," she stated.

But I disagree.

Studentscan become slap-up peer reviewers.

Theycan develop the skills needed to be accurate, astute readers who can provide valuable feedback to classmates. When students tin can evaluate their peers' writing, they tin can then apply those aforementioned analysis skills to their own writing.

Merely earlier students can do that, they need to know what a peer review is, what it looks like, and how it all works.

Here are ways to improve those peer reviews:

1. Revision vs Proofreading

When asked to complete a peer review, most students will proofread.

They'll wait for spelling errors or sentence fragments before they'll examine the content and structure of a piece of writing. These are the things theycall back we are asking them to do.

Exercise this instead:

Avoid this past making sure your students know the deviation between revision and proofreading.

Sometimes it helps to deconstruct the discussion "revision."

Re = again + vision = run across. Encourage students to retrieve about what that ways — they are looking at a piece of writing with "fresh optics." They tin provide the writer incredible insight since they are able to "see" the text in a new way.

two. Limit the telescopic/task for the reviewer

Asking a student to review everything (ideas, thesis, introduction, sentence structure, transitions, etc.) dramatically increases the overwhelm factor — and the likelihood that a reviewer won't be able to provide the writer with real help.

Do this instead:

Limit what you are asking students to review.

So, you may want them to review an introduction, use of transitions, or whether or not the "big idea" is clear. Limiting student revision ways:

students are practicing looking for elements of writing that they should accept in their own texts
students understand what those elements are
students are using higher level thinking skills to analyze what they are reading

3. Model

This educational activity strategy is golden!

When you model, students tin come across, hear, and sympathise what you want them to exercise. Perfect for teaching them how to peer review.

How to do this:

1. Starting time past using a sample typhoon.

I always write "student" samples because information technology would be embarrassing for a student to see his or her paper (whether proficient or bad) shared with the class.

Near of the fourth dimension, I use a newspaper that has obvious flaws.

2. I talk through what I notice in the typhoon and what kind of feedback I will give to the student. (This is also a great time to challenge students to a "set it" activity.

3. Have students revise the pupil draft to correct the mistake – this makes a quick writing activity that engages them with the writing concept immediately. Plus, provides them an opportunity to practice this skill.)

4. Model exactly how you want students to give feedback.

4. Use a rubric

Equally far equally I am concerned, rubrics are game changers when it comes to teaching! Not only do they let students know exactly what they need to attain, they also make your grading easier!

Yous can break down your rubric into peer review tasks. For example, have peer reviewers to cheque for an engaging introduction.

Teach this past:

using the item in the rubric equally a mini lesson — that fashion students understand what information technology is
modeling a peer review for just that one item
allowing students to peer review for just that ane detail — depending on your students, you might even want to provide an additional student sample text and allow students to review with a partner
be sure to allow a "debriefing" at the stop of class or an leave slip that will provide you lot with feedback

five. Ask for testify

Another game changer for peer reviews.

Rather than simply giving peer reviewers a checklist (which they gleefully check off!), I ask them to provideproof.

How to practice this:

If I ask reviewers to determine whether or non the writer provided sensory details, they must evidence exactly where in the text they establish them. No simple check marks!

Why is this a game changer?

students must identify proof as to whether or not a writer met the criteria of the review
students must understand what that proof should look like
students must be able clarify a piece of writing to determine what the writer has provided
this opens upwards a dialogue between the author and the reviewer — students can question one some other about the writing intent and the outcome
the proof clarifies three things: what the criteria being reviewed looks like, whether the writer knows how to incorporate it into his or her writing, and whether the reviewer tin place it

6. Gradually calibration up

This process seems similar baby steps, but once they understand what yous are looking for, you can add multiple review tasks.

For instance, you might want them to review the thesis, introduction, and transitions.

As the school year progresses, y'all tin add the items yous want your students to review. Again, they will be near successful if they understand what they are looking for and what kind of feedback y'all expect.

Warning: Don't overload the peer reviewer. Your students will be most constructive with fewer items to review.

seven. Ascertain acceptable feedback

This is so of import! What does adequate feedback look like? Hint: It doesn't include "Write more than" or "Add more detail"!!

How to do this:

Claiming students to provide concrete, existent, actionable feedback.

You lot'll aid them do this through modeling.

You can as well help them do this past encouraging them to hash out what makes adept feedback. A quick pre-peer review brainstorming session volition help students analyze what to say.

You can include a running list on your classroom wall that could include these ideas:

add sensory detail to judgement ___ in paragraph ___
you demand a fact to support your claim in sentence __ in paragraph __
what is your "big idea"? I'd like to meet it in your beginning paragraph
how are yous engaging your reader in the showtime paragraph? What is your hook?

8. Use "fill-in-the-blanks"

Your students may do good from a "fill up-in-the-blanks" format to make sure they consummate all of the items and give sufficient proof.

How to practise this:

Ask students to give an instance of what they notice in the draft.

For example, if y'all are asking students to determine whether or not the writer has a thesis statement, ask reviewers to identify the thesis argument. They tin can either underline information technology in the draft or fill in the blank on their review sheet.

As you model the peer review procedure, you lot tin share how you want students to fill up in that data.

9. Rinse & repeat

Information technology's not reasonable for students to peer review i paper several times — looking for something dissimilar with each reading.

Students volition get bored, and the entire writing process will tiresome waaay down.

However, you tin repeat the process described above with each writing activity your students take on. With each new writing assignment, teach students how to complete a peer review using a different task.

As yous do this, your peer reviewers will go comfortable with the process and improve their reviewing skills. You can move students on to more sophisticated writing tasks.

I hope y'all'll give peer reviews a try, and let me know what you think.

Yous can find 20 guided peer review forms here.

With gratitude,

December 23, 2017 by Marypat | Comments Off

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