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. 




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