Peer Response as Part of Writing Process

Using a Process Model in Your Writing Classroom with Peer Response

Often, when we think about peer response in our classrooms, we think of peers giving feedback on finished work, or at least almost finished work. We give students a writing assignment. They come up with their topic based on our instructions. They write something. Sometimes they bring a working draft to class for peer feedback, but more often than not, the writing process is nearly finished by the time they are sharing it with peers. As Donald Murray says about writing as a process, the fun is in the “discovery” that happens at every stage in writing. Why not provide ways for students to share with and support their peers through every step of this discovery process?

When I consider the way that peer response usually appears in the writing process, I am reminded of my days as a writing tutor in my undergraduate program. Students would bring their papers to the writing center just days before they were due – sometimes even the day before. They were clearly hoping for last-minute grammar fixes or a spot check for a properly placed thesis, smooth transition sentences, and correctly formatted citations. Basically, all technical aspects – the stuff of “editing,” but not necessarily genuine reader response. (Some might actually differentiate this as proofreading versus true editing.) We would continually remind students that the writing center tutors were not there merely as editors; we suggested Grammarly for that. We were there primarily as writing coaches – a support system for every stage of the writing process.

So, how can we translate this same idea into our classrooms in a seamless way that builds peer response into every stage of writing, not just an extra activity we do before the final version is turned in to us for a grade? Let’s reimagine every step of the writing process as a chance to invite students to interact with one another, share ideas, and develop their constructive criticism skills…

Writing Stage: Brainstorming

Coming up with what to write about is arguably the most important step of the writing process, but it is the one we may be the least likely to consider workshopping. Many students feel overwhelmed and have a hard time getting over just the hump of deciding what to write about. It often feels like very solitary work, but it doesn’t have to be. This 3-step model can allow peers to collaborate and get feedback right from the start of the writing process:

Exploring Ideas

First, have students write a few possible topics down on their own. Encourage them not to edit this list – just to let any ideas, no matter how random or silly they might seem – fall onto the page. Now is not the time to edit – it is, as Betty S. Flowers puts it, the “madman” creative stage. It might be productive to do this first step as a whole class where students can propose topics that come to mind that they might not personally want to write about but might inspire someone else.

Share & Respond

Next, invite students to share their lists of possible topics within a small group. Each writer can propose their Top 3 ideas and ask their group members to respond with which topics they would be most interested in hearing about. By having students share multiple ideas that they are not necessarily invested in yet, this allows them to bounce ideas off their peers in a low-stakes way to gauge interest. Hearing what their peers are interested in – and this may vary from person to person – can give them the confidence to pursue a certain topic that they were not sold on when considering it alone.

Compile & Review

Once groups have all shared and possibly refined their topic ideas, you can compile all the ideas from the class onto one master list – this can come in handy for students who are still not sure what to write about but might be inspired by a topic that someone else brainstormed. This master list can be kept on file and posted with the assignment details for students to refer back to as needed. It is also nice as a teacher to have a running list of compiled topic suggestions by students for students.

Writing Stage: Researching & Questioning

Once students have decided on their writing topics, group them again – maybe mix up your groups this time. Have them each write a question about one another’s topics. For example, if a student wants to write about Alaska, have each member of the group write down one question they have about Alaska that they would want answered if reading this piece. You can use a modification of the KWL strategy by having students tell the writer one thing they think they already know about the topic and one thing they would like to know. If the assignment is a story, have group members ask what their biggest curiosity is about a potential character or plot point. If the assignment is an opinion or argument piece, have each group member propose the strongest counterargument they can think of to the writer’s position. This will help the writer recognize what pushback their position might face and anticipate addressing it with a good rebuttal to make their argument even stronger.

Writing Stage: Outlining & Organizing

Not everyone likes a traditional outline, so organizing ideas in other formats is a good alternative for more abstract, non-linear, or visual thinking. Students can use idea maps, trees, or webs to plan out the necessary sections of their writing. This stage is another opportunity for students to share ideas and ask peers for feedback on what is missing or what order might be the most effective to present information. Students can place each element of their piece on post-it notes and ask a partner to arrange the notes in the order that they think is best. Another peer in the group could propose an alternative order or second the first person’s suggestion.

For argument or analysis writing, this could be an activity in organizing evidence in the most persuasive order. For fiction writing, this could be experimentation with how the plot is revealed to the reader. Ordering and reordering with a variety of reader feedback can help the writer see new possibilities for their piece that they might not have seen otherwise. This also builds camaraderie and community in the classroom because students are invested in each other’s writing as each stage unfolds.

Writing Stage: Drafting

Many reluctant writers get stuck at this stage because they hold the false belief that writing is supposed to come out perfectly onto the page. I like to encourage students to embrace drafting as a very messy, improvisational phase. Encourage students to write without worrying whether the words on the page are the “best words” yet. Remind them that a draft is just a way to get all the raw ideas out – polishing comes later. One great way to encourage messy-stage writing is to write alongside your students. Don’t be afraid to show them how you dump random ideas on a page, struggle over finding just the right word, or start out with drafts full of typos that you can fix later. Your students can see you walking-the-walk of process and as a fellow writer.

Another great way to break through first-draft blocks is to have students “tell” their stories or pieces out loud to a partner or small group. Most people are more experienced speakers than writers. As Janet Emig points out, “Writing is learned behavior; talking is natural, even irrepressible, behavior.” Just talking through an idea out loud is a great practice run at expressing thoughts. When the writer goes to write it down later, they have the confidence that they have already said this once. Now, they can try telling it even better. You can also add another layer of peer response by having listeners take notes while the speaker tells their story. These notes can be very informal, just writing down important moments and takeaways. Sharing these with the writer – anonymously or not – can help the writer identify what stands out most to an audience. Getting a sense of initial impressions is a good low-stakes way to get students more comfortable with peer feedback.

Writing Stage: Revising

This is the stage when many of us already use peer response. Students present their rough drafts to peers for comments before a last round of revision. Mark Farrington encourages writers of all ages to embrace the value of revision. In order to do so, Farrington says students need the following: to believe there is something good about the piece; to believe it can be made better; to have a reason to make it better; and to have a plan to make it better. As you move into the revision stage with your students, encourage them to consider these four points with a partner or in a small group discussion.

Once students have strong drafts in process, have students score each other’s drafts against the assignment rubric. This provides feedback to the writer about the most pressing and obvious areas for improvement in the paper. Also, the reviewer deepens their own understanding of the assignment goals by coaching a peer on how they can meet the requirements better. They can then apply these insights to their own writing. You can also provide students with revision checklists to complete after reading their own and their peers’ work.

Writing Stage: Polishing

This is where technical writing skill does come into the process. Some teachers and students are skeptical of the ability for peer response to really be of value in this stage. After all, not all students are equally strong writers in the most technical sense. I think we need to give student peers more credit simply as audience members. Maybe not all students will be able to verbalize in their feedback just why a certain passage felt clunky, or they might miss a grammatical error or incorrect citation. What they can do is respond to the overall impact of the piece, which is very much a polish issue. Are they emotionally engaged as they read? Are they persuaded by the argument? Are they interested in the outcome of the story? A great model for providing peer response in the polishing phase is Neubert and McNelis’s PQP model: “praise-question-polish.” Student first praise what it working well in the piece; next, they ask questions that they are left asking after reading; last, they suggest areas for polish that can be either zoomed-in technical or zoomed-out overall impact. Here is a link to more great resources for teachers wanting to try the PQP model, and some sample sentence starters for students.

Next steps for implementation…

Remember that writing stages are reoccurring and not always linear. Writers may revisit one or more stages throughout the writing process, and this flexibility is something else that we can model and encourage young writers to practice. I know we all cringe at the suggestion to add even more to our curriculum plates (there’s not enough time!). But rather than add, these ideas are meant to complement the work that your students are already doing when they write in a way that builds classroom community, provides mutual support, and supports students’ confidence and investment in their own writing. And most of all, celebrates process!

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