SQR3

Summary

Revision Strategies of Student Writers and Experienced Adult Writers

Many students use linear model strategies to revise compositions, like Gordon Rohman's pre-write, write and re-write model. However, the way experienced writers revise their writings is very different from how the students revise. For experienced writers a linear model for revising does not exists.

The author used a case study approach where freshmen students from the University of Oklahoma with high SAT verbal score and experienced writers, had to each write three compositions. Then, they had to report the way they revised their compositions. Most of the students explained how the way they revised their composition had mainly to do with linguistic change. They would delete words they thought they sounded wrong, substituted words with higher vocabulary by using the thesaurus, and added words they felt were missing.

While on the other hand, the experienced writers said that their form of revising is mostly about the writing making sense, shaping the composition's meaning. They want to make sure that it sounds well and the message is understood to the reader. Also, that they don't repeat what they had said already in defferent words. Some writers even explained that the first two drafts are just to know what they want to say. Their form of revising is described as a constant form of writing cycle.

What most students mainly lack in their strategies for revision is what experienced writers look for in their revisions. Most students don't think about the form, rhythm, balanced, or communication of their writings.

Question

What is it that student writers and experienced writers look for while they're revising their writings? And what do student writers lack that experienced writers have?

Response

Student writers concentrate more on their vocabulary than making sense. They want to sound intellegent, so they change words around to make it sound smart. By adding words, deleting, and substituting words using the thesaurus. On the other hand, experienced writers revise on making their compositions balanced. They want the writing to make sense, as well as making it sound intellegent.

Students writers lack the revising point of view that the experienced writers have. They don't think about the balance of the writing, or them repeating what they just mention in defferent words,ect.