Editing for Clarity

Overview

In this lesson, children use a simple peer-editing checklist to improve their setting descriptions. They focus on making their writing clear by checking sentences, adding describing words, and including at least one sensory detail.

Learning intentions

• Students will use a checklist to find places where their partner’s setting description is clear.
• Students will suggest one improvement to help the reader understand the setting.
• Students will reread and make small edits to improve their own writing.
• Students will read aloud their updated sentences clearly enough for others to hear.

Success criteria

• I can check that my partner’s sentences make sense and follow one idea after another.
• I can use a describing word (e.g., tall, bright, windy) to help the reader.
• I can spot and add a sensory detail (what we can see, hear, smell, feel, or taste).
• I can edit my writing after rereading it.

Curriculum links

• English (Writing – composition): draft and write in narratives, creating settings, characters and plot (focus on developing a setting description).
• Upper expectations for KS1 composition include reading aloud their writing clearly enough for peers and teacher.
• Students improve writing by rereading to check it makes sense.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Warm-up: What makes writing clear? Teacher shows two short sentences about a setting: one “unclear” (missing describing words) and one “clear” (includes adjectives/sensory detail). Students turn and talk: which one helps the reader picture the setting and why.

2. 5–10 min · Model peer editing with the checklist Teacher displays the checklist and a partner paragraph (teacher-created). Teacher thinks aloud: “I will look for clarity first. Do the sentences make sense?” then “I will look for describing words,” then “I will look for a sensory detail.” Teacher underlines one change and explains it briefly.

3. 10–17 min · Peer editing in pairs (first round) Students swap their setting descriptions with a partner. Each child uses the checklist to tick what they notice and writes one helpful comment sentence using a frame:

• “I can see/read… (what you added)”
• “You could make it clearer by…”
• “Can you add a word that describes…?” Teacher circulates, prompting children to focus on one improvement at a time.

4. 17–23 min · Editing time: apply improvements Students return to their own writing. They reread it and make up to two edits based on the peer feedback (e.g., add an adjective, improve a sentence by making it more complete, or include a sensory detail). Teacher provides sentence starters on the board if needed (e.g., “I can hear…”, “It felt…”, “The air smelled…”).

5. 23–27 min · Read aloud to check clarity Students practise reading their updated setting description aloud to the partner, aiming to be heard clearly. Partner listens for one “clarity check” question: “Does it make sense? Can I picture the setting?”

6. 27–30 min · Exit reflection (quick check) Each student answers verbally (or on a mini card): “One thing I changed to make it clearer was…” Teacher collects the final checklist tick marks to confirm children used the criteria.

Resources

• Peer-editing checklist (one per child, large-print if needed)
• Student setting description drafts (from previous lesson in the unit)
• Teacher example paragraph (one unclear, one clear)
• Underlining/colouring pens or pencils
• Clipboards or writing books
• Sentence starter strip for sensory details and adjectives
• Mini cards for exit reflection (optional)

Assessment

• Teacher checklist walk-around: listens for students using the three prompts (clarity, adjectives, sensory detail).
• Peer feedback check: students can give one specific, actionable suggestion using the sentence frames.
• Exit reflection: students identify the edit they made and explain it briefly.

Differentiation

• Support: provide a “might add” word bank (e.g., big, small, bright, dark, loud, windy) and sensory sentence starters; offer a simplified checklist with only three items.
• Support for writing difficulty: allow swapping/adding one describing word at a time; allow drawing a quick image of the setting before editing to prompt sensory details.
• Extension: ask students to improve clarity by combining two short ideas into one clearer sentence, or to add two sensory details (one visual and one sound/feel).
• EAL/SEN: model sentence frames clearly, use gestures for senses (eyes for see, ears for hear, hands for feel), and keep peer feedback limited to one improvement target.

Next steps (informal during wrap-up)

• In the final lesson of the unit, students will use their improved setting description as part of a short narrative, applying editing choices to writing about plot and characters.