Peer Review Session

Year 6 Languages

Exploring Instructional Language – Lesson 4 of 5

Duration: 30 minutes
Class size: 30 students

WALT

We Are Learning To:

Collaborate with peers to review instructional texts.
Use constructive feedback to improve the clarity and effectiveness of language in instructions.
Develop skills in evaluating written language for purpose and audience.

Learning Objectives (Aligned with New Zealand Curriculum Refresh)

Students will demonstrate oral language and written language skills by sharing and discussing their instructional texts with peers.
Students will engage in verbal reasoning by providing clear, constructive feedback, focusing on clarity, sequence, and effectiveness of instructional language.
Students will apply understanding of text features and language structures that make instructions clear and easy to follow (e.g., sequencing words, command verbs, clarity in steps).
Students will enhance their metacognitive skills by reflecting on feedback and planning revisions accordingly.

References:

The strands of Oral language and Writing, focusing on communicating ideas clearly and using language appropriate to purpose (New Zealand Curriculum Phase 2, Years 4–6), .
Emphasis on collaboration, metacognition, and feedback for developing communication skills and language use.

Success Criteria

By the end of the lesson, students will:

Confidently share their instructional text draft with a peer.
Offer at least two specific pieces of positive feedback about their peer’s instructional language (e.g., clear steps, use of command verbs).
Suggest at least one way their peer could improve clarity or organisation of instructions.
Receive and note feedback on their own draft to use in improving their text.

Lesson Resources

Student drafts of instructional texts (completed in previous lessons)
Peer review feedback sheets with sentence stems and guidance
Visual anchor chart of language features in instructional texts (e.g., sequencing words: first, next, finally; command verbs: cut, mix, place)
Timers or clocks for time management

Lesson Breakdown

Time	Activity	Details	Differentiation
0–5 min	Introduction & WALT reminder	Teacher briefly recaps the purpose of peer review and its role in improving instructional writing. Introduce success criteria and review language features anchor chart.	Provide sentence stems on board/slides for sharing feedback (e.g., "I liked how you... because…", "You could make this clearer by...").
5–10 min	Pair sharing of drafts	Students pair up (carefully matched for complementary skills). Each student reads their instructional text aloud to their partner, focusing on clear expression and sequence.	Pair stronger readers/writers with those still developing skills; for ELL or SEND students, provide visual supports or additional adult help.
10–20 min	Guided peer feedback using feedback sheet	Students provide oral and written feedback to peers using guided prompts: clarity, step order, language effectiveness, vocabulary. Teacher circulates to model feedback and scaffold where needed.	Support students needing extra help with sentence starters and visual cues. Encourage extension learners to explain why certain language features work well or not.
20–27 min	Reflection & note-taking	Students individually reflect on peer feedback received; write down at least one improvement they will make. Teacher models how to turn feedback into action steps for revising text.	Allow students to share reflections verbally if writing is a barrier. Use visual symbols or diagrams to support understanding of feedback.
27–30 min	Wrap-up & next steps	Whole-class brief discussion on what makes instructional texts clear and how peer feedback helped. Teacher reminds students that final revisions will be done in next lesson (lesson 5). Quick oral exit prompt: "One thing I learned about giving feedback is..."	Circle time to allow verbal responses for all learners, including ELL and diverse needs students.

Differentiation Strategies

For English Language Learners (ELL): Use clear sentence stems and visual supports from the language features chart; encourage use of first language cognitive skills during discussion; provide extra time or adult support.
For students with learning needs (e.g., dyslexia): Provide feedback sheets with guided questions and sentence starters; allow oral rather than written feedback as needed; model examples of constructive feedback.
For gifted and extension learners: Challenge them to focus on the use of sophisticated vocabulary, sentence structure variety, and to elaborate on peer feedback with examples or suggestion of alternative phrasing.
Flexible pairing: Pair students strategically to balance skill sets, supporting collaboration and built-in peer scaffolding.

Assessment

Observe and note students’ participation in peer feedback and clarity in explaining their peers’ texts.
Collect and review completed peer feedback sheets to assess the ability to identify effective language and suggest improvements.
Use reflections to gauge students’ metacognitive awareness of their learning and feedback use.

Teacher Tips

Model the peer review process first by sharing your own instructional text and demonstrating how to give respectful, specific feedback.
Emphasise the importance of positive language, focusing on strengths before areas for improvement.
Encourage respectful listening and remind students that feedback is about the text, not the person.
Use the time strictly to keep interactions focused and purposeful, considering the 30-minute limit and students’ age and attention span.

This lesson fits within a structured literacy approach with an emphasis on oral language, vocabulary development, and comprehension, combined with social collaboration and metacognitive learning strategies – all strongly recommended in the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh for Years 4–6 English teaching.

If you would like, I can also prepare the peer feedback sheet template and sentence stems for you!

Teaching Instructions