WHAT IT IS:

From The Writing Strategies Book (Serravalo, 2017), Adding Details is a practice revision strategy to help students develop detailed writing.

HOW IT WORKS:

To implement the strategy, provide students with a graphic organizer (like the example below). Ask students to read through the example, discussing with partners, small groups, or as a class the differences between the simple sentence and detailed revision. Highlight differences like precise language, descriptive writing, use of imagery, and other literary devices.

Ask students to look at the first You Try It! item and discuss with partners or a small group how to go about adding details and revising that sentence. After discussing together, have students attempt a detailed revision for a set time. At the time, ask them to share with each other.

Finally, have students then individually try the second You Try It! item independently. Have students share with partners or groups again. Ask for volunteers to read their revisions to the class.

To apply the lesson to their own writing, then, consider having students read through their drafts and select 1 or 2 sentences to revise in this method. Alternatively, have students read through a partner’s draft and identify 1 or 2 sentences for that student to revise.