Feedback That Helps

Overview

Lesson 3 of 9 in Polishing Our Writing Skills. Students practise giving and receiving respectful, specific feedback on a short piece of writing, using “Two Stars and a Wish”, the feedback sandwich and digital commenting. The lesson supports the refreshed New Zealand English focus on purposeful communication, responding to texts, and developing, editing and refining writing.

Learning intentions

• WALT give specific, kind and useful feedback about writing.
• WALT use a feedback framework to identify strengths and a possible improvement.
• WALT listen to feedback, respond positively and ask a clarifying question.
• WALT use spoken, written or digital tools to communicate clearly.

Success criteria

• I can give two specific, helpful comments using a feedback framework.
• I can explain why a comment is useful and linked to the writing.
• I can accept feedback positively and ask one clarifying question.
• I can demonstrate active listening during a peer conference.

Curriculum links

• Creating texts: drafting, revising, editing and refining writing for a clear purpose and audience.
• Responding to texts: discussing how language choices affect meaning and impact.
• Oral language: participating in respectful, purposeful discussions and building on others’ ideas.
• Key competencies: managing self, relating to others, participating and contributing, and using language, symbols and texts.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 minutes – Hook and connect

Display the question, “What makes feedback helpful rather than hurtful?” on the opening question slide. Students think-pair-share, then help create two class lists: feedback that helps a writer improve and feedback that shuts a writer down. Remind students that feedback comments on the writing, not the person.

2. 7–17 minutes – Teach the frameworks

Use the feedback frameworks slides to introduce:

• Two Stars and a Wish: two specific strengths and one achievable next step.
• Feedback sandwich: positive comment, helpful improvement, positive encouragement.
• “I noticed…” and “You might try…” sentence starters.

Model feedback on a short paragraph. Compare “Good job” with “I noticed your opening creates a clear setting because it uses sensory detail.” Ask students which comment gives the writer more useful information and why.

3. 17–25 minutes – Active listening and receiving feedback

Demonstrate a short peer conference with a student or another adult. The writer listens without interrupting, says “Thank you”, and asks a clarifying question such as, “Which sentence would be best to develop?”

Students practise the response routine with a partner: look towards the speaker where comfortable, listen, thank the speaker, and ask one question. Briefly discuss how writers can disagree respectfully while still considering feedback.

4. 25–40 minutes – Guided peer feedback

Distribute the peer feedback conference sheet. Students work in pairs with a recent paragraph or one supplied by the teacher. Partner A reads aloud or shares the writing digitally; Partner B gives two stars and a wish, using the sentence starters and one feedback framework.

Partner A records the comments, says “Thank you”, and asks a clarifying question. Partners then swap roles. Students who find writing difficult may give or receive feedback through an audio recording or speech-to-text tool, with teacher approval.

5. 40–52 minutes – Feedback circles and revision choice

Place students in groups of four. Each student shares one feedback comment they received and explains one change they might make. Group members may ask respectful questions, but the writer makes the final decision about revisions.

Students choose one improvement and revise a sentence or short section. They may use a digital commenting tool, handwritten annotation or an audio explanation. Circulate, prompting students to make comments precise: “What part of the writing shows that?” and “How might the writer act on this suggestion?”

6. 52–60 minutes – Review and exit reflection

Return to the plenary and reflection slides. Students complete the final section of the peer feedback conference sheet: one useful comment they gave, one comment they received, and one clarifying question they asked or could ask.

Invite two or three students to share effective feedback language. Preview Lesson 4: using peer feedback to strengthen paragraph structure and word choice.

Resources

• the introduction, modelling and plenary slide deck
• the peer feedback conference sheet
• Students’ recent paragraphs or short practice paragraphs
• Exercise books or writing folders
• Devices with commenting, voice-recording or speech-to-text tools, if available
• Projector or interactive board
• Highlighters or coloured pens
• Headphones for students using audio tools
• Timer

Assessment

• Observe whether students give two specific comments linked to features of the writing, rather than vague praise.
• Listen for active listening: waiting, thanking the speaker and asking a clarifying question.
• Review the conference sheet and revised writing for evidence that students understood and acted on feedback.
• Use the exit reflection to identify students needing further modelling in Lesson 4.

Differentiation

• Provide visual feedback cards on the worksheet, colour-coded for “strength”, “next step” and “question”. Keep the sentence starters visible throughout the conference.
• Offer dyslexia-friendly options: clear sans-serif font, generous spacing, short chunks of text, coloured overlays if used by the student, and the choice to listen to writing or record an oral response.
• Pair students deliberately and allow rehearsal with the teacher before sharing. Students may give feedback orally, type it, use speech-to-text or record an audio comment.
• Extend confident writers by asking them to create a personalised feedback checklist based on purpose and audience, then lead a four-person feedback circle and explain how their checklist supports useful responses.