To help students become better editors, consider using Jeff Anderson's idea--Invitation to Edit--from Everyday Editing.

Begin by looking at the first sentence, the mentor text, with your student.  What does she notice about it?  She can comment on anything--content, diction, syntax, punctuation, anything.

Once she has studied it and made her observations, cover it and show her the subsequent sentences, one by one, allowing her to point out what is different (i.e. incorrect) about each one.

"In the city of Boston, on a cobblestoned street, a new hat shop was opening for business."                                                            The Hatmaker's Sign by Candace Fleming

In the City of Boston, on a cobblestoned street, a new hat shop was opening for business.

In the city of Boston on a cobblestoned street, a new hat shop was opening for business.

In the city of boston, on a cobblestoned street, a new hat shop was opening for business.

In the city of Boston, on a cobblestoned street, a knew hat shop was opening for business.

In the city of Boston, on a cobblestoned street, a new hat shop was opening for buisness.

To help students become better editors, consider using Jeff Anderson's idea--Invitation to Edit--from Everyday Editing.

Begin by looking at the first sentence, the mentor text, with your student.  What does she notice about it?  She can comment on anything--content, diction, syntax, punctuation, anything.

Once she has studied it and made her observations, cover it and show her the subsequent sentences, one by one, allowing her to point out what is different (i.e. incorrect) about each one.

"As soon as she got home, Marguerite lit the fire, set a small pot of water to boil, and unpacked her basket."                                  Marguerite Makes a Book by Bruce Robertson

As soon as she got home. Marguerite lit the fire, set a small pot of water to boil, and unpacked her basket.

As soon as she got home Marguerite lit the fire, set a small pot of water to boil, and unpacked her basket.

As soon as she got home, Marguerite lit the fire set a small pot of water to boil and unpacked her basket.

As soon as she got home, Marguerite lit the fire, set a small pot of water to boil, and unpacking her basket.

As soon as she got home, Marguerite lights the fire, sets a small pot of water to boil, and unpacks her basket.

To help students become better editors, consider using Jeff Anderson's idea--Invitation to Edit--from Everyday Editing.

Begin by looking at the first sentence, the mentor text, with your student.  What does she notice about it?  She can comment on anything--content, diction, syntax, punctuation, anything.

Once she has studied it and made her observations, cover it and show her the subsequent sentences, one by one, allowing her to point out what is different (i.e. incorrect) about each one.

Tom and Nana, Tommy's Irish grandfather and grandmother, had his pictures in their grocery store.                                                                         The Art Lesson by Tomie DePaola


Tom and Nana Tommy's Irish grandfather and grandmother had his pictures in their grocery store.    

Tom and Nana, Tommy's irish grandfather and grandmother, had his pictures in their grocery store.    

Tom and Nana, Tommy's Irish grandfather and grandmother, had his pictures in their Grocery Store.   

Tom and Nana, Tommys Irish grandfather and grandmother, had his pictures in their grocery store.    

Tom and Nana, Tommy's Irish grandfather and grandmother, had his pictures in they're grocery store. 

To help students become better editors, consider using Jeff Anderson's idea--Invitation to Edit--from Everyday Editing.

Begin by looking at the first sentence, the mentor text, with your student.  What does she notice about it?  She can comment on anything--content, diction, syntax, punctuation, anything.

Once she has studied it and made her observations, cover it and show her the subsequent sentences, one by one, allowing her to point out what is different (i.e. incorrect) about each one.

A Sample Set

"Because he was so small, Stuart was often hard to find around the house."
                                                                                                        Stuart Little by E.B. White, 47  

 
Because he was so small Stuart was often hard to find around the house.

Because he was so small, stuart was often hard to find around the house.

Because he was so small, Stuart was often hard too find around the house.

Because he were so small, Stuart was often hard to find around the house.

because he was so small, Stuart was often hard to find around the house.

To make your own "Invitation," find or write a sentence you want your student to study. Copy and paste it several times, making a change to each one (i.e. delete a comma, misspell a word, insert a homophone, etc.). 

Once your student is comfortable with the process, have her make her own "Invitation" for you or a sibling to edit.  Remind her to put only one error in each sentence, so the activity doesn't become a massive error hunt.