If you want to build a community of writers, start by supporting feedback- writer to writer.

Early on in the year we establish our author’s chair routines, which is when, after working on writing, students elect to sit in the authors’ chair, share their writing, and receive feedback. (Note: author’s chair only needs to be a normal chair. Nothing fancy required!).

I’m sure all our writing classes are the same: some kids are bursting out of their skin to share, while others work hard on becoming invisible. A reliable and positive feedback routine can help all children to feel confident with sharing their own writing. Maybe not immediately, but after hearing peer feedback in action, I’ve found very nearly all students become ready to get in the author’s chair and hear what their peers have to say.

The routine:

• Student writer elects to share their writing (or an excerpt)
• Other students just listen and look
• Author chooses 2-3 peers to give feedback
• The child giving feedback chooses to give a single or double scoop.

What’s in a scoop?
🍦A single scoop: something that you thought was great

🍦🍦A double scoop: something that you thought was great AND a question or suggestion

The use of the positive comment twice is deliberate. Starting with a positive comment allows the writer to be successful in front of their peers. This builds a strong writing community as children complement each other aloud in front of their classmates, sharing what they think they do well. This leaves room

Often, children jump in to telling their peers what to do better. At the start of the year I often say “single scoop only” while we practice how to give robust and meaningful feedback without telling the person what to do differently. When this is secure, we add in the questions and suggestions.

Deepening the routine

I’ve used this routine with children from Years 2-6 (will be trying with P/1s soon!). It can be modified and deepened over time as you move through different concepts and strategies in writing.

• Focus the feedback on your current class focuses, e.g. well structured paragraphs, interesting words, great character descriptions
• Have the writer who is sharing tell the group what they’d like feedback on before they share, e.g. “I’d only like feedback on whether my ideas are explained well enough”.
• Have students share in small groups, with the audience listening to and building on the feedback of each person
• Choose one writing trait to focus the feedback on

Supporting writers who are not confident sharing

• Suggest that they control the amount and type of feedback, e.g. “I’d like a single scoop only today” or “I’d just like to hear what you think of my characters”.
• Let them use the author’s chair in a small group of self-selected ‘safe people’ before doing this with the larger class group.

After other ways to support peer feedback in writing? Try TAG conferences – scaffolded peer-to-peer feedback perfect for middle-upper primary or lower secondary.