D. Composition: Expressing Ideas and Creating Texts · Writing with Purpose, Voice and Evidence

Editing and Proofreading, with a Word Processor

D2.6 D2.2 A2.1About 45 minutes

Learning goals

I can edit for spelling, punctuation, grammar and format.
I can use word-processing tools, like spell check, to help me edit, and I know their limits.
I can place my fingers on the home row and begin to touch-type.

Words to know

edit
To find and fix mistakes in spelling, punctuation, grammar and format.

proofread
To read a final copy carefully one more time to catch any mistakes left.

grammar
The rules for how words go together in sentences.

format
How a text looks on the page: title, paragraphs, headings, spacing, font.

run-on sentence
Two or more sentences joined without the right punctuation or joining word.

word processor
A computer program for typing, editing and formatting text.

home row
The middle row of letter keys where your fingers rest when you touch-type: A S D F and J K L ;.

Remember from Grade 3

In Grade 3 you edited with CUPS (Capitals, Understanding or Usage, Punctuation, Spelling), checked homophones and verb tense, and proofread final copies. In Grade 4 you will edit for spelling, punctuation, grammar and format, use a word processor to help, and start learning to touch-type. (Cursive handwriting is practised in the Foundations of Writing unit.)

An editing checklist

Read your writing several times, looking for one kind of mistake each time:

Capitals: first word of each sentence, names, places, days, months, holidays, titles.
Usage and grammar: complete sentences, no run-ons, verbs that match their subjects (the dogs run, the dog runs), the same verb tense throughout.
Punctuation: end marks, commas in lists, quotation marks for dialogue, apostrophes.
Spelling: check words you're unsure of in a dictionary, word wall or spell checker. Watch for homophones.
Format: a title, paragraphs (indented or with a blank line between), headings where needed, a neat layout.

Mistake	Wrong	Right
Run-on sentence	We went skating it was so cold.	We went skating. It was so cold. / We went skating, and it was so cold.
Sentence fragment	Because the bus was late.	We missed the assembly because the bus was late.
Subject–verb agreement	The geese flies south.	The geese fly south.
Verb tense switch	Yesterday I walk to the store and bought milk.	Yesterday I walked to the store and bought milk.
Commas in a list	We packed mitts boots and a toque.	We packed mitts, boots and a toque.
Apostrophes	The dogs bone / Its cold.	The dog's bone / It's cold.
Homophones	Their going too the park.	They're going to the park.

Common Grade 4 editing fixes

Worked example

Let's edit a paragraph

Draft: on saturday my family go to the winter carnival in ottawa. we seen ice sculptures a snow slide and a hot chocolate stand its was amazing.

Capitals: On (first word), Saturday (a day), Ottawa (a city) and We (the start of a new sentence). my stays lowercase because it is in the middle of a sentence.
Grammar: my family go → my family went (past tense; the event already happened). we seen → we saw.
Punctuation: commas in the list: ice sculptures, a snow slide and a... Fix the run-on by making a new sentence.
Spelling and apostrophes: its was → It was.
Read it once more, slowly.

On Saturday, my family went to the winter carnival in Ottawa. We saw ice sculptures, a snow slide and a hot chocolate stand. It was amazing!

Editing with a word processor

A word processor has tools that help you edit, but you are still the editor.

Spell check underlines words it doesn't know. Right-click to see suggestions. But it can't catch everything: Their going too the park has no misspelled words, so it might not be flagged! Homophones and names need your eyes.
Grammar check may suggest changes. Read each suggestion and decide if it is right.
Undo takes back your last change.
Cut and paste moves sentences and paragraphs (great for revising order).
Find searches for a word, like a name you might have spelled two ways.
Format tools: titles, headings, bold, bullet lists and line spacing.
Save often, and give your file a clear name, like Owl Report Draft 2.

The home row: left-hand fingers on A, S, D, F and right-hand fingers on J, K, L and semicolon. G and H are reached by the pointer fingers. The keys F and J have small bumps.

Starting to touch-type

Touch-typing means typing without looking at the keys. It feels slow at first, but with practice it becomes faster than hunting for letters.

Sit up straight with your feet flat and your wrists relaxed.
Rest your fingers on the home row: left hand on A S D F, right hand on J K L ;. Feel the bumps on F and J.
Each finger reaches up or down for nearby keys, then returns home.
Keep your eyes on the screen, not your hands.
Practise a few minutes a day. Accuracy first, speed later.

Worked example

Let's check what spell check misses

Typed sentence: Its to cold too play outside, so we're staying in are house. Spell check shows no red lines. Is it correct?

Its should be It's (it is).
to cold should be too cold (meaning very).
too play should be to play.
are house should be our house.
we're is correct (we are).

It's too cold to play outside, so we're staying in our house. Four homophone mistakes that spell check didn't catch. Always proofread with your own eyes.

Every word here is spelled correctly, so spell check is happy. But four homophones are wrong. Only your eyes can catch them.

Proofread like a pro

For your final check, try one of these: read your work aloud, slowly; read it backwards, one sentence at a time (so you notice each sentence on its own); or change the font size on screen so it looks new. Your brain stops skipping mistakes when the text looks or sounds different.

Just for fun

Spell check said Their going too the park was perfect.

In fairness, spell check has never been to the park.

Hands-on activity

Be the editor, then type it

You need: a paragraph you wrote, a pencil, a dictionary (paper or online with a grown-up), and a computer or tablet with a word processor if you have one.

Read your paragraph five times, checking one thing each time: capitals, grammar, punctuation, spelling, format. Mark fixes in pencil.
If you have a computer, place your fingers on the home row and type your paragraph, trying not to look at the keys.
Use spell check. For each underlined word, decide: is it really wrong?
Hunt for homophones that spell check missed (their/there/they're, to/too/two, its/it's, your/you're).
Format it: add a title, make paragraphs clear, and choose an easy-to-read font.
Save it with a clear file name. Ask a grown-up to proofread with you one last time.

No computer? Practise home-row finger positions on a paper keyboard you draw yourself, and write your final copy neatly by hand.

Your turn

Fix the run-on: The snow stopped we ran outside.

Fix the subject–verb agreement: The children plays tag.

Add commas: We saw moose deer and a fox.

Fix the capitals: on canada day we went to niagara falls.

Why might spell check miss I want to go to there house?

Which keys are on the home row for the right hand?

Fix the verb tense: Last night we eat dinner and watched a movie.

More practice: warm-up

What does proofread mean?

Which two keys have bumps?

Which is correct: its raining or it's raining?

Name one word-processor tool that helps you edit.

What goes at the end of a question?

More practice: on your own

Fix the fragment: After the hockey game.

Add the apostrophe: My sisters skates are blue. (one sister)

Edit: me and jamal builded a snow fort it was huge

Why should you save your file often and give it a clear name?

Why read your work aloud when proofreading?

Challenge

Edit this paragraph (find at least 6 fixes): last winter my grandpa teached me how to ice fish we drilled a hole in the ice and waited for hours. Its was freezing but we catched three perch

Spell check suggests changing Nunavut to Nun at. What should you do and why?

Explain why touch-typing is worth practising even though it feels slow at first.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which sentence is correct?

Which mistake might spell check not catch?

Which sentence uses commas correctly in a list?

Where do your left-hand fingers rest on the home row?

Which is a run-on sentence?

What is the best order for improving writing?

For parents and teachers

Big idea (D2.6, D2.2): Grade 4 writers edit for accuracy and style, checking spelling, punctuation, grammar and format, and use a word processor to edit. D2.2 also asks Grade 4 students to begin developing touch-typing skills; cursive handwriting (the other part of D2.2) is taught in the Foundations of Writing unit. Saving, naming and crediting files responsibly connects to digital citizenship (A2.1).

How to help at home:

Edit together, one kind of mistake at a time, instead of marking everything at once.
Let your child use spell check, then challenge them to find what it missed.
If you have a computer, a few minutes of free typing-practice games several times a week builds touch-typing. Cover the hands with a tea towel for a fun challenge.

Common difficulties:

Trusting spell check completely. Homophones and names need human eyes.
Run-on sentences. Read aloud: where does the voice stop? Put a period there.
Looking at the keys. It is normal at first. Encourage accuracy over speed.