Long gone are the days when a generic ‘Well done!’ or ‘Good!’ would suffice as adequate and constructive teacher feedback for pupils’ writing. Today, feedback given to pupils needs to be specific and clear and should give pupils guidance on how to improve their writing. Feedback is often confused with editing, it is much more than just correcting mistakes, it is showing them the way to make the next step in improving.

Feedback comments must be limited to three or four major suggestions  and should focus on positive feedback, as well as something to improve on. Writing targets need to be limited to this amount, too. An overwhelming amount of feedback and targets would prevent pupils from acting on your suggestions. Your feedback should help them understand what is most important for them to work on, even if the end result isn’t quite there yet. Your targets should help them succeed in showing improvement and becoming better writers. 

Remember, writing is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. Pupils need to be given opportunities to close the gap between their current performance and the desired outcome. 

Use these templates to set writing targets for your pupils. Celebrate their success with a certificate and move on to the next set of targets to keep them developing further!

Download the free Writing Targets Sheet and Writing Target Achievement Certificate by clicking on the images below!  

Till next time…