87

STUDENT ACTIVITY
Responding to Student Writing as a Reader
The Goal: Focus on your response to the piece of writing!
Dont talk about the writing or the writer;
talk about YOU and how you responded to the piece.
Read through the piece, paying careful attention to how you are responding as you read. Mark the paper in
three ways: (1) draw a wiggly line under words, phrases, or sentences that you especially like or to which
you have a strong positive response; (2) draw a straight line under parts that cause you to be confused or
cause you to have a negative response because of wording, organization, etc.; (3) put a check mark at the
end of any line that contains a mechanical error (or errors).
Using I statements or open-ended questions in the margins, make comments about your responses to
specific sections. Your comments should communicate how you felt as you started to read (intrigued,
confused, bored, enlightened, skeptical, frustrated, engaged, curious, etc.), how you felt at various points
during your reading experience, and how you felt when you finished reading. Be sure to explain why you
felt each emotion. Remember that you are not talking about the writing at all; you are reporting on your
experience of it. It is the writers responsibility to make revision decisions based on your responses.
USE I STATEMENTS
(Let the writer know how you responded.)
HELPFUL THINGS TO SAY THINGS NOT TO SAY
I wanted to hear more about I think you should change
I wasnt interested until the part when I felt you did a good job with
I didnt understand why happened. I believe that you should.
I was excited, scared, confused, engaged, etc. I thought the paper was pretty good.
when
ASK HONEST QUESTIONS
(Ones that you actually want answered and do not know the answers to.)
HELPFUL THINGS TO SAY THINGS NOT TO SAY
What made you think that the narrator is a Dont you think it would be good to?
little boy?
How does this example relate to your main Wouldnt it be better if you?
point?
When did the car break down? I missed that Why not cut the part about?
part.
Used with Permission from Blaze Newman, San Dieguito High School Academy
88
STUDENT ACTIVITY
READER RESPONSE QUESTIONS TO HELP IN THE FEEDBACK PROCESS
Remember that not every question will apply to every paper you readsometimes the papers style
or focus will dictate the kinds of questions you should focus on. As you read the paper, please make
comments in the margins. On a separate sheet, respond to the appropriate questions below. Feel free
to add other feedback beyond these questions. Please sign your name.
1. How effective is the introduction? In what ways did it arouse your interest? How well does it establish
a context for the thesis?
2. What IS the thesis? Rewrite it in your own words. Is the thesis specific and clear?
3. How effectively does the body connect back to the thesis? Where is this done especially well? Where is
the connection shaky? Why?
4. How effective are the transitions? Between paragraphs? Between ideas within a paragraph? Before and
after quotations?
5. Does each paragraph have a clear topic sentence or guiding idea that focuses the paragraph? Where
not? Which are especially effective?
6. Is there adequate support for the thesis? Is there support from all required sources? (If it is a piece about
a text, there should be textual examples; if it is a piece about ones life, there should be specific exam-
ples that reveal the writers experiences.) Where might support be added?
7. Is each example analyzed fully? Are there at least two sentences explaining each quotation, one on its
meaning and another on how that meaning relates to the overall idea the writer is providing (the the-
sis)? If not, where is more analysis needed?
8. Is the paper a cohesive unit? Which parts need to be connected more fully?
9. How logical and convincing is the overall argument? If not entirely, why not?
10. Are there parts of the text that run counter to the writers interpretation but are ignored in the paper?
11. If using critical articles, are they used intelligently? How well do they relate to the writers own ideas?
Has the writer expanded on the articles, rather than just endorsing their ideas? If not, where might s/he
expand?
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STUDENT ACTIVITY
READER RESPONSE
After listening to or reading an essay, respond to each of the following as thoroughly as possible to
provide meaningful feedback to the writer. Use your own paper.
Writer ________________________________ Reader___________________________________
1. Identify three words, phrases or images in the essay that are especially strong and explain why.
2. List any ideas, images or words that need clarification and explain why.
3. Indicate the parts of the essay that hold your interest and those that dont. Explain why.
4. Identify the parts of the topic that are most clearly addressed in the essay and any parts of the topic
that are not yet addressed.
5. Indicate any portions of the essay that need additional details, emphasis or development. Explain
why.
6. Identify any generalizations or clichs that need revision.
7. Identify any portions of the essay that you think should be deleted and explain why.
8. Explain any suggestions you have for reorganizing the essay to make it more effective.
9. Comment on the effectiveness of the title.
10. List any questions that the essay does not yet answer.
11. List three qualities of the writer that emerge from the essay.